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.
“Look, the athletic traits are important to us. They always have been,” Ballard explains. “There’s been instances where we’ve gone with the exception, but we’d rather not have a team of exceptions.”
This is a well-known part of the Colts’ process, but Ballard reiterating it ahead of this year’s draft provides important insight into their potential decision regarding their first-round pick. Michigan tight end Colston Loveland is another tight end considered a first-round pick, and he is widely regarded as a better athlete than Warren.
This quote could suggest that Ballard would prefer Loveland over Warren, even if both are available on the board.
This also applies to the linebacker position, with expected first-round pick Jihaad Campbell ranked as a top-50 athlete at linebacker since 1987, according to his Relative Athletic Score.
Ballard discussed the Colts’ needs at linebacker and, while vague, inadvertently revealed previously unknown information to fans and media members regarding the position.
“[Linebacker] is a position we’ve been pretty good at drafting and developing. We drafted Jaylon [Carlies], who we think is gonna be really good,” Ballard said. “He had some offseason surgery, but when we took him and moved him from safety to linebacker, we thought the transition was really, really good. And we think the draft has some good players, so we’ll add some depth and competition, hopefully, in the draft.”
This offseason surgery was previously unknown to the media and could affect the Colts’ draft needs. Ballard further explained that Carlies had shoulder surgery this offseason but expects him to be ready to play by camp.
However, shoulder surgeries can be tricky for linebackers, and the Colts need to enhance the talent at this position anyway. This boost could come from Campbell, who is regarded by many as the best linebacker in the draft. His sideline-to-sideline speed and tackling ability would provide an immediate boost to the Colts’ defense.
This offseason has been highly newsworthy for Indianapolis, and that trend will likely continue following the draft. With questions at important positions throughout the roster, this Thursday will be telling as to what direction Ballard intends to take the team in 2025.
