Indianapolis Colts General Manager Chris Ballard held a press conference early Monday morning. He addressed questions from media members on a wide range of subjects, including his thoughts on the depth at certain positions in the draft, his opinion on Anthony Richardson’s progress this offseason, and the potential for making a trade in the draft.
The Colts are a team with many question marks regarding their current roster construction and direction heading into Thursday, the first day of the 2025 NFL Draft.
There is a constant stream of news regarding the Colts, whether it’s the debate about who they should select in the draft or the fact that the biggest quarterback competition in the league begins soon in Indianapolis.
Ballard offered fans and media members insight into these topics, especially about what the quarterback position might look like next season.
The most significant Colts-related topic this offseason was the quarterback competition, and Ballard was, of course, asked about it. Former New York Giant and Minnesota Viking Daniel Jones was brought in this offseason to compete alongside Anthony Richardson for the starting quarterback position.
Ballard expressed confidence in Richardson but made it clear that he expects both quarterbacks to receive equal opportunities this season.
“I think both of them will be better because of this, I think the team will be better because of this. Competition brings out the best in everybody,” Ballard expressed. “If I’m a betting man, at some point, both of them will help us.”
When a media member asked about feedback Ballard has received regarding Richardson’s offseason workouts, Ballard expressed confidence in the 22-year-old.
“Good, really good. I talked with Tom [Gormley] last week for a long time, and I’m encouraged, very encouraged.”
Tom Gormley is Richardson’s private quarterbacks coach. Gormley and his team have assisted multiple NFL quarterbacks in maximizing their talents, with Brock Purdy as one example.
Another question that Ballard was asked concerned the depth of this year’s draft and his opinion on the notion that this year is less talented than in years past.
“In the top part of the draft, compared to past years, I don’t know if there’s as much high-end [talent], but I do think there’s a lot of depth.” Ballard said.
The next question followed up on Ballard’s answer, inquiring about how many players the Colts had rated as first-round talents. Ballard’s response was vague, yet the conclusion of his answer raised a very interesting question.
“We’ll have enough players in the first round to draft. When our pick comes up, whether we’re at 14, whether we’re at 10, whether we’re at 25, we will have a player that we like that’ll be good for the Colts.” Ballard said.
Fans have extensively debated the notion of trading up in the draft for Indianapolis, but hearing Ballard reference those specific picks makes this concept even more intriguing.
The first pick Ballard mentioned, the 10th pick, is currently held by the Chicago Bears. The Bears have several directions they could take in this year’s draft, but one player that many media members and fans expect them to select is tight end Tyler Warren.
It’s possible that Ballard has been attempting to trade with the Bears for the 10th pick to have the opportunity to select Warren, which further fuels the rumors linking Warren to the Colts in the first round.
Ballard also explained a part of his thought process regarding prospects’ athletic profiles in the draft.