Could Colts Trade Up for the No. 1 Overall Pick?

The 2025 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away, and the Indianapolis Colts are rushing to squeeze in a few final meetings and attend a couple more pro days to watch their top prospects.

With the 14th overall pick, the Colts will need to find a player who can better the team from day one. Indianapolis has major roster gaps at tight end, linebacker, and offensive line after losing former starters in the first few weeks of free agency.

At quarterback, the Colts signed six-year veteran Daniel Jones to participate in a competition for the starting job with Anthony Richardson. That doesn't mean the Colts can't get another quarterback in the draft, though.

A new wild trade idea from Bleacher Report analyst Kristopher Knox would see the Colts trade up with the Tennessee Titans for the first overall pick and move on from Richardson. The trade is laid out as follows:

Colts Receive: No. 1 overall pick

Titans Receive: No. 14 overall pick, 2025 fifth-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, QB Anthony Richardson

"Where would third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson rank in this year's draft class?" wrote Knox. "That's a question the Titans would have to ask themselves if faced with this offer from the Indianapolis Colts.... The Titans could be intrigued by the idea of adding a 22-year-old quarterback whose ceiling might be even higher than Ward's.

"Given Richardson's lack of development in Indianapolis, he probably wouldn't draw first-round value in a trade if dealt alone. However, a young quarterback, two first-round picks and a fifth-round sweetener might be enough to convince the Titans to move into the middle of Round 1."

This trade requires a lot of assumptions. First, it's incredibly unlikely the Titans would hand the rights to the first overall pick to their AFC South rival. It's hard to imagine the Titans would let the Colts get their pick of the litter.

Second, the Titans would have to be big fans of Richardson, despite his injuries and early career struggles. Tennessee scouted Richardson alongside their current starter, Will Levis. Both have strugged tremendously at the NFL level, so they may just want an entirely fresh start.

Third, it'd be difficult for the Colts to bet on a current quarterback with so much draft capital. Giving up a future first-round pick would be arguably too much just to move up 13 spots in a draft where the quarterback talent is so unproven.

It'd be shocking and uncharacteristic of Ballard to accept a deal like this. The same front office that drafted Richardson is still there, so it'd be like giving up on two years of development for a rookie. Simply put, I don't see it happening.