Let's Talk About the Colts Draft

Final Results:

• ROUND 1, PICK 6 (Sixth overall)
Quenton Nelson, guard, Notre Dame

• ROUND 2, PICK 4 (36th overall)
Darius Leonard, linebacker, South Carolina State

• ROUND 2, PICK 5 (37th overall)
Braden Smith, guard, Auburn

• ROUND 2, PICK 20 (52nd overall)
Kemoko Turay, defensive end, Rutgers

• ROUND 2, PICK 32 (64th overall)
Tyquan Lewis, defensive lineman, Ohio State

• ROUND 4, PICK 4 (104th overall)
Nyheim Hines, running back, N.C. State

• ROUND 5, PICK 22 (159th overall)
Daurice Fountain, wide receiver, Northern Iowa

• ROUND 5, PICK 32 (169th overall)
Jordan Wilkins, running back, Mississippi

• ROUND 6, PICK 11 (185th overall)
Deon Cain, wide receiver, Clemson

• ROUND 7, PICK 3 (221st overall)
Matthew Adams, linebacker, Houston

• ROUND 7, PICK 17 (235th overall)
Zaire Franklin, linebacker, Syracuse



First and foremost, I absolutely LOVE the Quenton Nelson pick and don't know how you can't as a Colts fan.  I noticed a few pundits said they understood the need, but 6th overall is high for a guard.  That's fine, because another thing I noticed was the fact that most prospect rankings lists had him as the number one overall prospect in the entire draft. Six might be high for a guard, but getting someone who is expected to play at a Pro Bowl level on your interior line is important, especially for a team whose All Pro quarterback missed the entire past season with a shoulder injury he got from getting put on his ass on a very consistent basis.  At the very least, it was much more consistent basis than desired.  Unless you're Ryan Grigson because he didn't give a FUCK about having an o-line.

After the first pick, we basically doubled up on need positions.  Braden Smith out of Auburn should compete for a spot on the line, and at worst he's a rotational backup with a lot of potential and some versatility to boot.  Darius Leonard out of South Carolina State is a a bit of an unknown, and by that I mean I didn't know who he was going into the draft.  With that said he seems like someone who plays on the edge and in the backfield and appears versatile enough to play at a couple spots in the new 4-3 we're cooking up.  Add in Tyquan Lewis from Ohio State (a pick that I personally love) and Kemoko Turay from Rutgers and all the sudden we have a nice group of young pass rushers to work with.  

The idea of building depth didn't stop there.  Ballard then proceeded to add two running backs in Nyheim Hines out of NC State and Jordan Wilkins from Ole Miss.  Hines ran a 4.38 - the fastest 40 time at the combine - but I actually thought Ito Smith out of Southern Miss was a better talent at this spot. As for Wilkins, I see him competing for a starting job.  He ran for over 1,000 yards last season for the Rebels, and he actually did most of his damage against SEC opponents.  Of his 1,011 yards almost 800 of them came against the SEC, including over 100 against eventual National Champion Alabama.  

Rounding out the final selections were a couple linebackers and wide receivers, all of whom will likely have a chance to contribute immediately on special teams.  Deon Cain out of Clemson is my sleeper pick for one of the starting receiver picks.  I thought he showed a lot more with DeShaun Watson and struggled last year with Kelly Bryant and the regression in the passing attack.  With Andrew Luck throwing him the ball, he should be able to showcase his skills more consistently.  All in all, I feel good about it.  One surefire difference maker at the top of the draft and young, competitive depth at several areas of need.  Not the most glamorous draft, but one that should prove fruitful over the next couple of years.

At the same time it could also be a total disaster.  It's always tough to tell with these types of things.