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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Kevin Hickey

Chris Ballard on pre-draft rumors: ‘Everybody’s lying’

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard may have had one of the best soundbites among executives ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

While Ballard has typically been transparent when it comes to answering questions from the media, he still isn’t going to tip his hand fully when discussing the offseason’s biggest weekend.

And when it comes to the massive amount of rumors swirling around entering the draft, Ballard made it a point to put a warning label on buying into every piece of news that hits Twitter.

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“Everybody is lying. I might be the most honest, unfortunately. But everybody is lying,” Ballard said in his pre-draft presser Friday.

The weeks of April leading up to the draft are referred to as “lying season” for a reason. Teams are willing to put any information (or misinformation) out there in order to further their chances of getting the prospect they want.

Though Ballard doesn’t straight-up lie to the media, he admitted to something we already know about his press conferences.

“I think you know me well enough. Usually, if you ask a question, I’ll either dance around it or give you an answer. Today, I’m a dancer,” Ballard said laughing.

For all of Ballard’s faults, his transparency with the media is refreshing. His press conferences may not be the most exciting, and we’ll get our shares of “look” or “listen” before he starts a sentence. But his transparency on most subjects should be appreciated.

Now, that doesn’t win football games. And Ballard knows this pick at No. 4 overall is a crucial one whether he is willing to admit it or not. What he doesn’t know is how the first three picks are going to unfold.

“No idea, and I don’t think anybody does. Everybody thinks they do. I mean of course, everybody thinks they do and everybody has an inside source who is giving them information of what’s going to be done,” Ballard said. “I think as you all know, just look at the mock drafts and tell me how accurate they are after the draft. Nobody knows. Nobody is giving out information.”

We are less than a week away from the start of the NFL draft and what the Colts will do is still a mystery.

And with some teams wanting certain prospects to fall, it’s best to take every piece of information we hear with a grain of salt.


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