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INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts finally took their draft swing on a quarterback in the sixth round.
They landed Notre Dame's Riley Leonard with the No. 189 pick in the sixth round.
Grade: B
Why: The Colts were going to draft a quarterback on Day 3, given that they had two on the roster after Sam Ehlinger departed for the Broncos. And now, the replacement they've found in the sixth round draws some easy comparisons to where Ehlinger was coming out of Texas in the same round in 2021.
Leonard started for two different schools in Duke and Notre Dame and took both to some special relative heights, including guiding the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last season. He was more of a game manager than the catalyst, though, as he doesn't have much of a downfield arm and also struggles in his decision making, as illustrated by his eight interceptions on just 403 attempts last season.
But he fits a room that's become all about mobility with Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones competing for the starting role. Leonard ran for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, and he ran for 36 scores across his college career.
The hope with this kind of pick was always to find a quarterback who could grow for a year behind the scenes and have a chance to be the No. 2 option in 2026, when one of Richardson or Jones will almost certainly be gone. Leonard brings a good skill set to get there, as he's known as a tireless worker behind the scenes and has the mobile skill set to eventually fit as a backup to either player.
He doesn't offer a ton more to pull out that than, which is the nature of a quarterback selection in the sixth round. The Colts could have taken a higher upside option a round or two earlier with someone like Ohio State's Will Howard or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.
But given the more pressing needs the Colts needed to fill, it felt more logical to save this pick for the sixth round.
The issue is it's hard to project much more about this quarterback room until the position battle plays itself out and it's clear who the head coach and general manager are for 2026 as a result. But in the moment, it checked a box with a safe and strong fit to the room.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts instant draft grades: Why Riley Leonard pick gets a B
Continue reading...
They landed Notre Dame's Riley Leonard with the No. 189 pick in the sixth round.
Colts draft grade: Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard
Grade: B
Why: The Colts were going to draft a quarterback on Day 3, given that they had two on the roster after Sam Ehlinger departed for the Broncos. And now, the replacement they've found in the sixth round draws some easy comparisons to where Ehlinger was coming out of Texas in the same round in 2021.
Leonard started for two different schools in Duke and Notre Dame and took both to some special relative heights, including guiding the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last season. He was more of a game manager than the catalyst, though, as he doesn't have much of a downfield arm and also struggles in his decision making, as illustrated by his eight interceptions on just 403 attempts last season.
But he fits a room that's become all about mobility with Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones competing for the starting role. Leonard ran for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, and he ran for 36 scores across his college career.
The hope with this kind of pick was always to find a quarterback who could grow for a year behind the scenes and have a chance to be the No. 2 option in 2026, when one of Richardson or Jones will almost certainly be gone. Leonard brings a good skill set to get there, as he's known as a tireless worker behind the scenes and has the mobile skill set to eventually fit as a backup to either player.
He doesn't offer a ton more to pull out that than, which is the nature of a quarterback selection in the sixth round. The Colts could have taken a higher upside option a round or two earlier with someone like Ohio State's Will Howard or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.
But given the more pressing needs the Colts needed to fill, it felt more logical to save this pick for the sixth round.
The issue is it's hard to project much more about this quarterback room until the position battle plays itself out and it's clear who the head coach and general manager are for 2026 as a result. But in the moment, it checked a box with a safe and strong fit to the room.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts instant draft grades: Why Riley Leonard pick gets a B
Continue reading...
