Indianapolis Colts select Riley Leonard in sixth round of 2025 NFL Draft

In 2024, Riley Leonard led Notre Dame to a College Football Playoff national championship game appearance. He’s now heading to the NFL after hearing his name called in the draft.

The Indianapolis Colts selected Leonard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He spent one season at Notre Dame, especially making plays with his legs while also developing as a passer.

Leonard was the Fighting Irish’s second-leading rusher in 2024, totaling 906 yards on the ground to go with 17 touchdowns, which tied for the team lead. He also completed a career-high 66.7% of his passes for 2,861 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Leonard started his college career at Duke, although injuries got in the way of his junior season. His best year in Durham came in 2022 when he threw for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 699 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.

Leonard played high school football at Fairhope (Ala.), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 418 overall player from the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Riley Leonard

Riley Leonard made his biggest impact in the running game in college, although he also showed flashes of a bona fide dual-threat quarterback. He struggles while going through his progressions, though, according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. But with his ability to make plays with his legs – not to mention his toughness, which was on full display on the opening drive of the national title game – he can still make an impact.

“Leonard has adequate size and is an above-average competitor with good toughness,” Zierlein wrote. “However, he fails to hit the mark as a pro-caliber passer. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who falls more firmly on the side of grit than gifted. He can make controlled throws inside his comfort level, but his accuracy and timing dip when he has to work beyond primary reads. He’s relatively careful with the football in the red area and in the face of pressure. He can move the sticks with his legs on called runs or when pressured.

“Leonard is average as a field-reader and doesn’t have enough arm to beat NFL defenders on seam throws or outside the numbers. He needs a solid running game and advantages at the skill positions to function on a pro level, but even then his play might be more dependent on his legs than his eyes and arm.”