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We’re just over 24 hours away from the merciful arrival of the 2023 NFL Draft. For Colts fans, it still feels like any one of CJ Stroud, Will Levis or Anthony Richardson could be the QB of the future.

The urgency to get the quarterback right has been especially palpable since things went south with Matt Ryan last season. This type of pressure comes with the territory because it is the single most important position in the NFL.

Get it right and you’ve set your franchise up for a contention window that you hope lasts for decades. Get it wrong and jobs are lost, teams are blown up, and the team is back to square one.

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It’s easy, however, to get so caught up in the need at quarterback that we forget about the other glaring holes on the Colts’ roster.

I don’t know about you but, whether it’s one of the three QBs listed above or Gardner Minshew under center Week 1, I’d like some shiny new toys for this offense.

While some benefit of the doubt should be given to the Colts’ wide receiver room because of what they had to deal with at quarterback last season, I don’t see an elite No. 1 wideout on this roster.  Michael Pittman Jr. is incredibly talented, Alec Pierce showed promise, but there’s nothing from their tape that would allow you to expect WR1 play next year.

If it happens, wonderful! That’s great for the Colts and everybody (myself included) would be thrilled. I’d still rather not bank on that and instead grab another weapon for the future.

The other major need for the Colts is finding one, perhaps two, impact cornerbacks that can earn a starting spot immediately for Gus Bradley’s defense. Stephon Gilmore is in Dallas and Kenny Moore, along with Isaiah Rodgers, are entering contract years.

Regardless of win total projections for the Colts and where expectations will be for next season, this is the thinnest position group on the roster and one that will only get worse next offseason. The Colts can’t afford to be completely behind the eight ball next year. They have to address it over these next four days and they will.

All that brings us to these big questions; which position group is higher in the Colts’ order of importance and which area contains the most depth as the NFL Draft board fills out in Kansas City?

Wednesday on The Fan Midday Show Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports stopped by to share where the true value in this NFL Draft lies once the Colts make a selection (presumably QB) at #4.

Over the course of our conversation Luke talked about:

  • what stands out the most about this year’s WR class
  • just how deep the cornerback class is
  • how teams weigh QB prospects vs QBs available in the trade market
  • what to expect from local standouts like Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Purdue’s Cory Trice
  • who he has mocked to the Colts at #4
  • the positives and negatives of Will Levis

Give our conversation with Luke Easterling a listen before tomorrow night’s NFL Draft begins and don’t miss The Fan Midday Show, weekdays 12-3pm Eastern, on 93.5 & 107.5 The Fan.

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