The fourth day of the draft room series will feature the Indianapolis Colts. After losing in the AFC title game to New England, the Colts have added a few veterans to strengthen the leadership of the young team. With the additions of Frank Gore and Andre Johnson, the Colts should be considered serious Superbowl contenders next season. Of course with Andrew Luck at the helm the is no limit on how good this team could become in a few years. General manager Ryan Grigson will a strong draft after missing on past draft picks such as Bjorn Werner and the awful Trent Richardson trade.
With the 29th overall selection the Colts will likely upgrade the offensive line. With needs at center, guard, and tackle there are many different ways the team can go. In my mock draft I selected Oregon tackle Jake Fisher. Fisher projects more as a 2nd round pick, but he could go higher as tackles are often times over valued during draft day. As an athletic tackle Fisher could be a great fit for an offense that surrounds quarterback Andrew Luck. This could allow Luck to stay in the pocket more if given proper protection.
Cameron Erving out of Florida State is another player who could be on the team’s radar. Erving projects as the top center in the entire draft. Erving reminds me of the Pouncy twins and would make a day one starter in the league. With the limited supply of centers in the draft Erving will likely be picked towards the end of the first round.
The Colts will almost certainly look to upgrade their defense during the draft. After giving up 45 points to New England in the AFC title game, its clear the team needs to upgrade the defense. The Trent Cole addition will help, a healthy Robert Mathis will help, but does it make their defense dangerous? Probably not. Look for Indy to upgrade the defensive line early in the draft. A defensive tackle would give the Colts a huge boost. Arthur Jones has not panned out as expected so the need is there. Michael Bennett from Ohio State is a player that comes to mind. Bennett could make a great 5 technique defensive end in their 3-4 defense. Jordan Phillips from Oklahoma would provide a 3 technique nose tackle but would likely require a first round pick. Below is the list of every Indianapolis Colt draft pick. The Colts will have their work cut out for them this draft.
First round: 29th overall selection
Second round: 61st overall selection
Third round: 93rd overall selection
Fourth round: 128th overall selection
Fifth round: 165th overall selection
Sixth round: 204th overall selection
Sixth round: 206th overall selection (from Seattle)
Seventh round: 244th overall selection (from Dallas)
Seventh round: 255th overall selection (compensatory selection)
