Colts GM Chris Ballard ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if team uses 4th pick on QB
Jan 10, 2023, 4:20 PM
Locked into the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals are in a prime spot to add a serious asset(s) in one way or another.
On one hand, they could use their pick to draft a cornerstone-type player like a Georgia DE Jalen Carter, helping the fill the void left behind by the retiring J.J. Watt along the defensive line.
On the other, the Cardinals could turn the pick into more by trading it away to one of the QB-needy teams looking for their next franchise signal caller.
And given Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard’s comments on Tuesday, the price to move up into the top five might have increased quite a bit. Ballard, whose team holds the No. 4 pick in the draft, said he wouldn’t be surprised if quarterback is the route the team goes with the selection.
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“It’s the fourth pick of the draft. We earned that. I don’t like earning it, but we did,” Ballard told reporters. “We understand the magnitude of where we’re at in the draft and we understand the importance of the position. To get one that actually you can win with and to be right is the most important thing.”
“I’d do whatever it takes,” the GM added when asked if he would move heaven and earth to draft who they wanted at QB. “If we thought there’s a player that we’re driven to get that makes the franchise and the team better that’s what we would do.”
Across the top 10 picks alone, six teams could realistically be in the market of adding a QB. The Houston Texans at No. 2, Colts at No. 4, the Seattle Seahawks at No. 5, the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 7, the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8 and the Carolina Panthers at No. 9.
Outside of the top 10, the Tennessee Titans (No. 11), the New York Jets (No. 13) and the Washington Commanders (No. 16) are also in need of some new blood at signal caller. There’s also the Green Bay Packers to consider at No. 15 if Aaron Rodgers moves on and Jordan Love isn’t the answer.
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s top QB prospects include Kentucky’s Will Levis at No. 3 and Alabama’s Bryce Young at No. 4 and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud at No. 7.
