Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, admitted some tense moments when CJ Stroud was taken No. 2 overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

The Colts expected Bryce Young to go No. 1. He said Stroud at No. 2 was “a little bit of a surprise.” Indy went into the evening with one goal: get former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson at pick No. 4 without having to give up anything else to move up.

And that’s what they accomplished.

“We were really fortunate,” Irsay told reporters on Saturday after the draft concluded.

Irsay said it was important to find a player who would best fit into a Shane Steichen offense. The former Philadelphia Eagles coordinator-turned-Colts head coach helped unleash Jalen Hurts. Philly was excellent at putting points on the board, outstanding on third down and in the red zone, and rode Hurts to a Super Bowl LVII appearance.

With Richardson’s athleticism and his ability to actually hurt teams with his legs rather than just make the occasional play with them, the Colts felt a partnership between him and Steichen was the right combo to lead the franchise forward.

“I always kind of felt Richardson was gonna be the guy we went with early on. I mean, early in the process, going back into February,” Irsay said. “We kind of felt like if we had the first pick in the draft we’d probably take Anthony. That’s how much we liked him.”

Of the 3 quarterbacks taken in the top 5, Richardson is certainly the one with the most intrigue.

Most analysts think Young is excellent and the only concern there is the size. Most analysts think CJ Stroud can make every throw on the field. One was a Heisman finalist multiple times, the other a Heisman winner. Both came from CFP contenders.

Richardson started just 13 games in his career, and he did so leading a team that finished around .500. The completion percentage is what it is. But Indy believes strongly in his potential.

And Irsay told NFL Media’s Judy Battista he expects Richardson will start games for the Colts in Year 1.

“I just think the world of the young man,” Irsay said. “I’ve spent a good bit of time with him. I called him about 3 hours before the draft and I said … there’s a good chance you’re gonna be coming to Indy in 3 hours. So, he was excited.

“It was through face-to-face conversations where I just realized what kind of young man that is. I mean, special. Sparkle in his eye. His energy. I’ve seen a lot of young guys come into this league and, boy, I’ll tell you, that young man has something special in his heart and spirit and soul. And I know he wants to be great.”