The Indianapolis Colts had a solid draft this year after pulling in eight new talents headlined by linebacker C.J. Allen and safety A.J. Haulcy. However, just a few years ago, in 2023, Indianapolis secured a whopping 12 new players to help build the future of the franchise. This was, of course, when the Colts drafted Anthony Richardson Sr. fourth overall. Looking back, this was a bad overall class for Indianapolis, and Pete Prisco at CBS Sports airs this thought in his re-grading of the Colts' 2023 draft class. Prisco doesn't hold back, giving Indianapolis a dismal D after handing out a B when the draft happened. Here's what Prisco had to say regarding the matter. "I thought their best pick was second-round corner JuJu Brents, but he is now in Miami after being let go.I thought Downs went higher than expected, but he has played well. I also said the draft would be defined by Richardson, who I thought had the tools with some development. That clearly hasn't happened."Oct 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) runs onto the field during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Grace Smith-USA TODAY Network via Imagn ImagesTo remind the readers who was selected, below are the picks from the 2023 class for Chris Ballard & Co. QB Anthony Richardson Sr. (Rd. 1, No. 4)CB JuJu Brents (Rd. 2, No. 44) WR Josh Downs (Rd. 3, No. 79)OT Blake Freeland (Rd. 4, No. 106) DT Adetomiwa Adebawore (Rd. 4, No. 110) CB Darius Rush (Rd. 5, No. 141) S Daniel Scott (Rd. 5, No. 158) TE Will Mallory (Rd. 5, No. 162) RB Evan Hull (Rd. 5, No. 176) DE Titus Leo (Rd. 6, No. 211) CB Jaylon Jones (Rd. 7, No. 221) OT Jake Witt (Rd. 7, No. 236) Obviously, Richardson hasn't panned out in the slightest; he doesn't need much of a breakdown here. However, when examining the other 11, it's clear that the Colts whiffed this draft entirely. Starting with JuJu Brents, who was taken to be a big, physical cornerback, the Colts could develop into a star. Instead, he could hardly stay on the field and was ultimately released. He's continued to struggle with injuries with the Miami Dolphins. As for Josh Downs, he's truly the only selection from this draft that has looked the part. Through three seasons, Downs has secured 198 catches for 2,140 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns. Downs is now slated to be the WR2 for Indianapolis following the trade of Michael Pittman Jr. Next is Blake Freeland out of BYU. Freeland became the swing tackle, but when he saw action, he was dominated by any capable pass rusher, becoming a liability in pass protection. He'll now see competition for that exact position four years later from undrafted free agent Nolan Rucci. Next up is Adetomiwa Adebawore out of Northwestern. Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore (95) moves in on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn ImagesAfter two slow seasons to kick off his career, Adebawore did find his footing in 2025 as a rotational defensive tackle, tacking on 4.0 sacks and 36 tackles. There's hope for him in his role, still. To start round five was cornerback Darius Rush. He was believed to be a 'diamond in the rough'-type find. Instead, he was doused by Jaylon Jones and ended up getting waived. He's hardly made an impact in the league. Next up is safety Daniel Scott, who remains with Indianapolis. However, Scott sustained a torn ACL in 2023 and an Achilles injury in 2024, which wiped out those seasons entirely. So far, he's accrued two tackles in four career contests. Following was the ultra-fast tight end out of Miami, Will Mallory. Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars safety Eric Murray (29) breaks up a pass intended for Indianapolis Colts tight end Will Mallory (86) during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesMallory showed promise in his rookie year as Indy's TE3 with 18 catches for 207 receiving yards. Since then, he's only regressed and tallied a lone catch for 16 yards in 2025. Running back Evan Hull finished out round five for Indianapolis. Believed to be Taylor's backup, but that didn't end up happening. Hull is now with the Houston Texans and has just 49 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards. Titus Leo was a small school selection out of Wagner for his sheer athleticism. But Leo has done nothing but bounce around the league at a rapid rate and is currently a free agent. To kick off the final round, Indianapolis took cornerback Jones out of Texas A&M. Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) reacts in front of Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) after a play during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesJones completely outperformed his draft tag in his first two seasons, putting up 144 tackles, 17 pass breakups, and two interceptions through 34 games. But 2025 was a different story, as Jones hardly saw the field. Indy's cornerback room is led by Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward, and since the Mekhi Blackmon trade, it appears Jones has fallen into the abyss on the depth chart. Last is offensive tackle Jake Witt out of Northern Michigan. Witt showed some skills but ultimately suffered a season-ending hip injury that led to his abrupt retirement in 2024. The Bottom Line Sep 14, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) warms up prior to the game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesPrisco's grade is warranted when looking back on Indy's 2023 draft. For the Colts to pull 12 players and have this type of performance from the group is brutal. Downs has the chance to be a star, and Jones did put up starting time, but overall, this was a horrible draft class for Ballard. Indianapolis did far better this year, and will hope for more of a return on investment from the eight new names they added to their ranks. With a massive 2026 season ahead, it will take an 'all-hands on deck' approach to keep the current setup intact for the future. That means the rookies will need to contribute, and far better than what we saw from Indy's 2023 class. 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