The Colts have their franchise quarterback.
The Buccaneers, who have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, are expected to take a passer in the hopes he will be their Andrew Luck.
So what do Indianapolis and Tampa Bay have in common at the game’s most important position?
They are two of four NFL clubs with just two quarterbacks on the roster, with San Francisco and Green Bay the others.
The Colts have 39-year-old Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck, and the Packers look set to go with Scott Tolzien behind Aaron Rodgers. However, Hasselbeck and Tolzien are both under contract for just one more season apiece, so a late-round pick on a passer by either club wouldn’t come as a surprise, nor would adding a rookie free agent quarterback after the draft. The Colts and Packers each have nine draft selections.
The 49ers are in a somewhat similar position, with only Blaine Gabbert behind Colin Kaepernick. While Gabbert signed a two-year deal earlier in the offseason, selecting a young passer to bolster the depth would make sense. The Niners have nine picks.
The Buccaneers have eight selections, and all eyes are on how they will proceed at No. 1. They are widely believed to be likely to select Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston at the top of the draft, which would presumably push Mike Glennon into a reserve role, with Seth Lobato the third passer. The question then is whether the Bucs would move Glennon, though this could leave them quite thin at quarterback.
Ultimately, the 49ers, Colts, Packers and Bucs figure to come out of the draft with at least three passers, if only to spread some of the practice reps around in offseason workouts. The Bucs will draft at least one. But will the others?