The early-sixth-round run on quarterbacks continues. The Colts are set to select Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard at No. 189 overall. Leonard will follow his national championship game opponent (Will Howard) and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord off the board early in the round.
Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen had identified Leonard as a target early during the pre-draft process, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, coming into draft weekend high on the former Fighting Irish starter’s athleticism and processing ability. Leonard certainly showed dual-threat capabilities during Notre Dame’s run to the CFP title game, and he will join two mobile QBs — Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones — in Indianapolis.
Before heading to Notre Dame, Leonard spent three seasons at Duke, earning the starting job as a sophomore. With lesser surrounding talent on the Blue Devils, Leonard still won nine games, throwing 20 touchdowns to only six interceptions, while rushing for 13 more scores. His 2023 season, which preceded his move to the state of Indiana, was cut short by ankle and foot injuries, but he played in all 16 games for the Fighting Irish in 2024.
Leonard nearly reached 1,000 rushing yards last season, totaling 906 to go with 17 touchdowns on the ground. Suddenly, Jones is the third-best rushing threat in his new position group. Leonard posted a 66.7% completion rate, throwing 21 touchdown passes compared to eight interceptions during the team’s charge toward the Ohio State matchup. While Notre Dame was unable to overcome the favored Big Ten program, Leonard leading the team to that stage capped off a breakout season.
Not mentioned as a potential Shedeur Sanders team, the Colts using a sixth-round pick on a QB certainly points to the Richardson-Jones competition deciding the team’s Week 1 starter. Leonard will step into place as a developmental option for a Colts team that no longer rosters Sam Ehlinger. The former sixth-round Colts draftee is now with the Broncos. Jason Bean, a 2024 UDFA, entered draft weekend as the Colts’ third-string option.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.