National Football League

Colts rookie projections: Anthony Richardson, two others should be Year 1 starters

Published May. 18, 2023 2:15 p.m. ET

What will Anthony Richardson bring to the Colts as a rookie? Where will Josh Downs fall in Indianapolis' receiver pecking order? And what does Stephon Gilmore's departure mean for second-round cornerback Julius Brents?

Projecting the impact of each member of the Colts' 12-player rookie draft class:

Round 1, No. 4 overall: Anthony Richardson
Year 1 projection: starter

The Colts' hope, of course, is that Richardson proves worthy of being the No. 4 overall pick and becomes a long-term franchise quarterback. Indianapolis is signing up for what could be a bumpy rookie season, though. At 20 years old and with just 13 starts at Florida, Richardson will need reps. Coach Shane Steichen's playbook must accentuate Richardson's strengths and maximize his comfort.

There's a chance that backup Gardner Minshew starts the year — he spent the past two seasons with Steichen in Philadelphia — but it would be surprising if Richardson isn't starting by midseason.

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Round 2, No. 44 overall: CB Julius "JuJu" Brents
Year 1 projection: high-impact starter

With Gilmore gone, Brents has a good chance to be a Day 1 starter. What might hold him back initially is his health. He had wrist surgery in March, though he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Brents is the Colts' biggest cornerback. The upside is there with his fluidity and length, too. Brents, an Indianapolis native, was a first-team All-Big 12 selection at Kansas State last season, leading the Wildcats with eight pass breakups and four interceptions.

Round 3, No. 79 overall; WR Josh Downs
Year 1 projection: starter (WR3), punt returner

Outside of Richardson, the diminutive Downs (5-foot-9, 171 pounds) was the most talked about player coming out of rookie minicamp earlier this month, his great hands on display. It shouldn't come as a surprise. He was a very productive player at North Carolina, with at least 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in back-to-back seasons with different quarterbacks to finish his college career.

Free-agent acquisition Isaiah McKenzie is currently ahead of him on the depth chart, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Downs take on the WR3 role behind Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce by the middle of the season.

With Keke Coutee and Nyheim Hines no longer on the roster, Downs should also be the Colts' top punt return option. In 34 games at UNC, he returned 26 punts for 389 yards.

Round 4, No. 106 overall: OT Blake Freeland
Year 1 projection: backup/No. 3 OT

Best case scenario, Freeland can offer some competition for second-year left tackle Bernhard Raimann and be a dependable swing tackle option as a rookie. Freeland started 41 games in four years at BYU — 26 at left tackle, 15 at right tackle.

Round 4, No. 110 overall: DL Adetomiwa Adebawore
Year 1 projection: backup

General manager Chris Ballard has prioritized being eight- to nine-players deep in the defensive line rotation, so the athletic Adebawore figures to be a key backup behind standout starters DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. He led Northwestern in sacks and forced fumbles the past two seasons.

Round 5, No. 138 overall: DB Darius Rush
Year 1 projection: backup, special teams

Like Brents, Rush is a big cornerback (6-foot-2, 198 pounds) for Gus Bradley's defense. The former South Carolina standout has a chance to be a long-term starter (with Brents), but he's not an explosive athlete. He figures to provide depth in the Colts' young secondary and be utilized as a gunner on special teams.

Round 5, No. 158 overall: S Daniel Scott
Year 1 projection: backup, special teams

Julian Blackmon, Rodney Thomas II and Nick Cross are all ahead of Scott on the depth chart at safety. The former Cal standout will need to be indispensable on special teams to have a role as a rookie.

Round 5, No. 162 overall: TE Will Mallory
Year 1 projection: backup, special teams

Tight end is one of the Colts' strongest position groups. That's why Mallory's role could be limited to special teams until he improves as a blocker, viewed by scouts as a weakness. He was a strong pass-catcher at Miami, leading the Hurricanes with 538 receiving yards in 2022 en route to second-team All-ACC honors.

Round 5, No. 176 overall: RB Evan Hull
Year 1 projection: backup, special teams

Star Jonathan Taylor and backup Zack Moss will take the lion's share of the snaps, but Hull has a chance to be the No. 3 option. He had 88 receptions for 810 yards and four touchdowns his last two seasons at Northwestern, flashing potential to be a much-needed pass-catching option out of the backfield for Indianapolis.

Round 6, No. 211 overall: edge Titus Leo
Year 1 projection: special teams

There could be a steep learning curve for Leo adjusting to the NFL from FCS Wagner, plus the Colts already have an established top three at his position (Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo). He'll need to make his name on special teams.

Round 7, No. 221 overall: CB Jaylon Jones
Year 1: special teams, practice squad

A three-year starter at Texas A&M, Jones has the experience to provide back-end depth at corner. Some scouts believe he could transition to safety. That versatility could make him more valuable to the Colts.

Round 7, No. 236 overall: OT Jake Witt
Year 1 projection: backup, practice squad

Witt could make the initial 53 because of the need for depth on an offensive line that struggled last season, but he'll be a developmental project. He started his college career as a basketball player and has played on the offensive line for only two years.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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