The Colts selected quarterback Riley Leonard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Indy, of course, didn’t draft him to be a starter right away. However, Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus believes Leonard might’ve landed in the best situation for his long-term development.
“Leonard has his limitations as a downfield passer, but he may have landed in the best situation for his development,” Wasserman wrote. “Colts head coach Shane Steichen emphasizes RPO concepts and yards after catch in his offense, and the foundation throws in Steichen’s offense will be well within Leonard’s range. He is also an excellent athlete who posted an 82.8 rushing grade last season.
“Lastly, Anthony Richardson appears to be on a short leash while Daniel Jones is playing on a one-year contract. There could be a path to playing time for Leonard sooner rather than later.”
Leonard isn’t playing behind an elite player like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. So he’ll have an easier chance of seeing the field in 2025.
Analyst Believes Colts Rookie Quarterback Riley Leonard Will Play Sooner Than Expected
Spotlighting Leonard’s Career
Riley Leonard starred at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama. During his senior year, he threw for 1,900 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 500 yards. Leonard received college offers from schools like Nebraska, Syracuse, and Tulane. However, he committed to Duke University.
During Leonard’s three years at Duke, he passed for 4,450 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding 1,224 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. He later transferred to Notre Dame, where he spent his final year of college football. Last season, Leonard threw for 2,861 yards, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while completing 66.7 percent of his passes. He also rushed for a ridiculous 906 yards and 17 scores. Leonard led Notre Dame to 14 wins this past year. He also took them to the National Championship Game, where they lost to Ohio State.
Will He Play Sooner Rather Than Later?
Who will be the Colts’ starting quarterback in 2025? That’s a question that everyone wants to know the answer to. Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will compete for the job in training camp. It’ll be interesting to see which former top-10 pick wins. Whoever loses, will serve as the primary backup, replacing Joe Flacco. Flacco, of course, signed with the Cleveland Browns this offseason.
Sam Ehlinger, who was the Colts’ No. 3 quarterback last season, is now with the Denver Broncos. That means Leonard will battle Jason Bean for the No. 3 spot.
Again, when the Colts drafted Riley Leonard, they weren’t planning on him playing much as a rookie. However, if he beats out Bean and makes the 53-man roster, he could certainly see playing time in 2025. Both Richardson and Jones could battle injuries or play horribly (knock on wood). If that’s the case, Leonard would play a lot sooner than expected.
Leonard has the potential to be a solid NFL quarterback. The Alabama native has a lot of experience. He played in 43 games during his college career. Plus, he has what it takes to be an exciting dual-threat QB. We’ll see what happens.
Main Photo: Michael Clubb – Imagn Images
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