Colts Would've Drafted Anthony Richardson with No. 1 Overall Pick, Jim Irsay Says

No matter what pick the Indianapolis Colts had in the 2023 NFL draft, team owner Jim Irsay appeared to be intent on taking quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Irsay added that he had made up his mind "early on" in the process.

"I always felt like Richardson was going to be the guy we went with, early on," he said of the Florida star.

Irsay didn't confirm whether or not Richardson will be the Week 1 starter, but he emphasized how he believes it's important to get young quarterbacks on the field.

"You get better by playing," he told reporters. "I mean, practice and preseason games and watching in a quarterback room, that's great. But, man, I'll tell you, he'd get better by playing, and it's something that it is really important. Because, again, his development [is] so much of a key to the franchise's future. It is the critical key."

Irsay added that first-year head coach Shane Steichen believes he can help Richardson fulfill his massive potential.

"Shane was convinced," Irsay said. "He said, 'I've seen his mechanics. I've seen him make passes. I know he can make him. I've seen enough to really feel he can develop into an outstanding passer, not just with his feet.' That went a long way with me."

Following the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck ahead of the 2019 season, the Colts tried to play it safe at quarterback. The result of that approach was a revolving door under center and steadily diminishing returns at the position.

Indianapolis basically did the opposite of that by selecting Richardson.

The 6'4", 244-pound prospect is a one-of-a-kind talent. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein named Cam Newton as his NFL comparison, but Richardson might be even more athletic than Newton considering the 2015 MVP didn't run a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

However, Richardson is unlikely to hit the ground running in the NFL after starting only one full season in college.

"He's got to come in and earn his way like every player we bring in," Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters. "Let's not expect him to be Superman from day one. I think history has shown there's not many of them that are Superman from day one. Some of them it takes two, three years for them to become a really good player."

One thing working in Richardson's favor is that the major decision-makers appear to be in alignment. It shouldn't be a situation where he's only a few bad starts away from losing the faith of his head coach or GM.