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Could the Indianapolis Colts trade down in the 2023 NFL Draft to draft a quarterback?
IndyStarsports columnist Gregg Doyle believes GM Chris Ballard will trade down in the draft. He thinks Ballard wants to trade down to acquire more draft picks while still drafting a first-round quarterback.
Doyle thinks Ballard will make a move to trade down in the draft to select Tennessee's quarterback, Hendon Hooker.
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The move would make sense for a few reasons. The Colts have a high draft-pick, holding the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. While that's usually a good case to draft a top quarterback in most drafts, the Colts will likely see two, maybe three quarterbacks selected before them.
The Carolina Panthers traded up from pick No. 9 to No.1 overall with the Chicago Bears. They traded away two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and WR DJ Moore to move up. They didn't move up to the draft in any other position besides a quarterback.
The expectation is that the Panthers will likely draft Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud.
The Houston Texans at pick No.2 are also expected to draft a quarterback. Most people around the NFL world believe they will draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
At pick No.3, the Arizona Cardinals won't select a QB as they have Kyler Murray and are tied down to his big deal. However, a team could swoop in and trade up with the Cardinals for their pick to select a quarterback. With that in mind, the Colts could be down to potentially their fourth option at quarterback.
A trade would be a good idea if that's the case as the Colts would trade down to accumulate more picks and still select a guy like Hendon Hooker.
Hendon Hooker has the talent to be a first-round pick
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker could sneak into the first-round. While the hype has surrounded CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, and Anthony Richardson, Hooker possesses the skillset to be drafted in the first 31 picks.
Hooker played five seasons in college. He spent the first three years at Virgina Tech and the past two seasons at Tennessee.
With the Volunteers, he shone. In 2021, he threw for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 616 yards and five touchdowns.
This past season, he went 9-2 as the starter, throwing for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, two interceptions and rushing for 430 yards and five touchdowns.
The one thing that devalues Hooker's stock is that he tore his ACL toward the end of last season. He might not be ready for the start of the 2023 season, but it could be worth the gamble of being selected early on in the draft.
