Superman

If we're only talking about overall athletic ability, I drop my objection. But I include passing proficiency when talking about whether a QB prospect is "gifted," and I think the finer points of throwing the ball is an area where Luck is far more talented than Richardson has shown so far.

If Ballard leaked the Levis stuff, and it worked to the point that virtually the entire national and local media landscape was linking Levis to the Colts, then why would Ballard almost directly shut it down in his presser last week? I mean, he did everything but look down the barrel of the camera and say 'read my lips... NO WILL LEVIS.' I think the Colts ran a pretty tight ship all offseason, starting with the HC search when no one had a read on what was happening until SB week. And now, the most reasonable take in the run-up to the draft was from Holder, who said weeks ago 'no one from the Colts is talking.' Meanwhile, the Colts snuck out to Florida to work out Richardson privately, before the Combine, and the only reason we got confirmation on that before tonight was because Richardson let it slip during his Combine presser. They sent area scouts to everyone's pro day, except Richardson's; they sent a high ranking front office guy to see him, and didn't even try to hide it. I do not think there was any gamesmanship here. I think they all kept their mouths shut, and went about their business, and then Ballard shut down the loudest rumors right before the draft, and now they confirmed with their actions that all the clues we saw were actually legitimate, and the media had no inside info about what the Colts planned to do.

Hard disagree. This is major recency bias. He's bigger (slightly), stronger, faster, has a bigger arm, and can play a more physically imposing style of football. But Luck's ability to make all the throws, including from a crowded pocket, to do so accurately, and demonstrate an ability to scan the field, is something that's so far beyond what Richardson has demonstrated so far. And he was no slouch in the arm department either, he could rip it.

He rubbed me the wrong way in this one. Just unnecessarily curt and standoffish. One thing Ballard understands and quickly demonstrated is that it's valuable to have a good working relationship with the media. So, for example, when Ballard said 'I don't want to compare QBs,' then someone asked Steichen a similar question and he answered 'like Chris said, we're not gonna compare QBs.' Then whoever asked the question clarified that they were talking about offensive approach, and Steichen goes 'yeah, I'm not gonna talk about scheme, either.' Really? Now, Reich would just give away the gameplan, and that was annoying. But in this case, Steichen couldn't talk about what kind of advantages he sees in having a QB like Richardson, or how they think they can deploy him as he develops, or anything like that? He didn't even try to dress it up and give a coachspeak answer, either. Just shut it down, not even entertaining what I thought was actually a legitimate question. Generally, I don't care too much because I don't expect to get anything meaningful from what the coach says, but that annoyed me, and seemed borderline rude.

It's probably a good thing for him. A slice of humble pie might be needed.

Levis getting hit with the Mario Kart banana peel, gonna slip right out of the first round... I'm shocked neither Detroit nor Tampa took him.

If they get Richardson up to speed this year, JT is going to have a great season. Look at how productive the Eagles were in the run game last year. Richardson is more dynamic than Hurts, and JT is more dynamic than anyone the Eagles have at RB.

Hard disagree. If a top five QB doesn't start right away in Year 1, but becomes a franchise guy for the next decade, it's well worth the trade off.

Very short on experience, and he's not ready. He's one of the most raw QB prospects to go in the first round in recent history. You're right to be skeptical, and I'm on the record with my concerns over the last 2-3 months. I said at one point this kind of pick can get a GM fired, and if Richardson looks bad in two years, I think Ballard and Steichen could be looking for work. But you started your previous post saying you don't know much about him. I suggest you do some homework. Watch his games and you'll see the special traits that have people excited. Read about his upbringing and circumstances and you'll see some grit. You won't understand this pick if you're just scouting the stat sheet. It's a major projection, and you won't get it if you don't try to see around the corner a little bit.

I think the Colts would have been in on Levis. But I'll say I think him skipping his bowl game and the Senior Bowl didn't do him any favors, especially with a team like that Colts that places a lot of value on football character, competitive spirit, and the Senior Bowl.

Listening to Steichen talk, it sounds like no matter who the starter is at the beginning of the season, they'll have a plan to get Richardson on the field sooner than later. I'm eager to see what that looks like, but I hope they have at least a couple of packages for him, and not just short yardage, QB run stuff.

What about everything else Ballard (and Steichen) said? Or what about Ballard's history of favoring high traits prospects? Last week, Ballard basically said it wasn't Levis. At the Combine, he said all the young QBs need a lot of work and development, so acting like 'ready to start Day 1' is a major factor didn't make sense. He said the drop back QB probably isn't the direction of the NFL right now. He also basically said all along that trading up wasn't gonna happen.

Ballard might be the most transparent GM in the league. He basically telegraphed this pick for two months, and we could have just believed in what he was saying and figured this out.

Why should it?

@stitches You did it!

By tomorrow we'll be hearing that none of his teammates came to his birthday party...

On Levis, from the SI article:

I watched a handful of his games a few months ago, there's something there at times. But he's small, not super athletic, he'll turn the ball over, his decisions are iffy at times... I don't have a strong opinion on him either way tbh.

What?

Merged with the poll thread.

The Manning ESPN show is called "On the Clock." I found it to be less than insightful, basically a waste of time. The viral comments about Levis being the real deal are basically all that was relevant in the entire episode, IMO. It's highly scripted, really sanitized, and at best you get to see Peyton and Eli talk about a QB they like, while avoiding saying anything negative about him. And even in that super friendly, totally safe environment, Levis seemed like he was performing the entire time. It's weird, but there's something there... Also, this might have absolutely nothing to do with whether he can be a good pro QB. I'm not saying it does. It's just a side point for me.

Look, I'm not usually too worried about this stuff, but something about him just makes me think he's fake. That's probably unfair, I don't know the dude, and you can't really know someone from a handful of viral moments on the Internet.

I want Stroud, but I think we'll draft Richardson. Stroud is my QB1. He's accurate, strong arm, good footwork in the pocket, good balance, decent size with the ability to get stronger, and I think he can still get better as a passer. He's not the most exciting guy, but he can make all the throws, and despite his limited athleticism I think he's good enough to be a top ten QB in the NFL. The S2 stuff doesn't move the needle for me. But it's a fact that he's not a dual threat guy, and that he had a very favorable situation at Ohio State, more favorable than any other QB in this year's draft, IMO. Still, I think he's more than capable of being a better pocket passer in Year 1 than most QB prospects ever become. So he's my first choice. Richardson seems to be the guy the Colts would want. I'm extrapolating a lot from the history of the coaching staff, the trends in the league, the Colts' openly acknowledging that they'd consider Lamar Jackson (although that could be diplomacy more than anything else), Ballard's historical attraction to athletic prospects, and a few other bread crumbs. Richardson is super gifted, as physically impressive as any QB prospect ever (maybe the most impressive). He has a great arm, great size, he's super strong, he survives contact, both in the pocket and on the move. And as good as he can be as a scrambler/runner, he doesn't panic and run every time he's pressured; yet he still has an incredible pressure:sack ratio. Of course, he's extremely raw, and his current limitations are so drastic that, worst case scenario, he might not even be able to function in an NFL offense. But our coaching staff has experience with slowly working a gifted QB into the game, and I think they'd be very confident that they could do the same with Richardson. One little gem of info: the Eagles QB coach last season was Brian Johnson, who was rumored to be in consideration for the Colts OC position when Steichen got hired (Steichen all but admitted he wanted Johnson, but the Eagles made Johnson OC). Johnson was at University of Florida when they recruited Richardson. So just another tangential connection between Richardson and the Colts. Levis: I don't know about him. Physically gifted, has some technical issues that seriously bug me, and I feel oddly suspicious of him. This is not about unpeeled bananas, mayo coffee, or shirtless pics. I don't even mind the "I have a cannon" comment. But something about the way he talks and interacts, he seems really rehearsed, and even when he's trying to be down to earth and sincere, it comes off as a performance. I keep coming back to Bo Callahan (curse you, Kevin Costner!) There are rumors that he's arrogant, maybe entitled; I don't think my opinion is compromised by Internet whispers, I generally don't put stock in stuff like that, but when I watch/listen to him, something seems questionable. At this point, I don't think he would be the Colts choice at #4. Young: Simple for me, he's too small, and doesn't have other physical traits to make up for it. His arm is mid, and he has a reputation for being able to make plays with his legs, but he's not as fast or as quick as people seem to think he is. I think he can have some success, but I think the odds of him excelling and lasting long in the NFL are pretty low. Hooker: Lots of physical talent, but I don't think he's been tested in college in any way that proves he can perform in the NFL. The Tennessee scheme is a cheat code. You need a strong arm and some accuracy to run it, so credit there, but it's really unconventional. Also, he barely looked like even a college QB until he connected with Josh Heupel, and by then, he was 23 years old, playing against guys who were 3-4 years younger than him. I think he has a lower ceiling than everyone else.

Draft is less than a week away. Ballard has done his pre-draft presser, and all the visits are done. So let's weigh in. First, which QB do you want the Colts to draft? Second, which QB do you think the Colts will draft? I'm including the top five guys, plus an option for "none of these." I'm listing them in alphabetical order. Your vote will be public. Poll will close Thursday at 12 noon, Pacific.