The 2015 season for the Indianapolis Colts showed the world the sizable holes they have in their roster when their best player, Andrew Luck, went down with multiple injuries. QB pressure is what needs to be addressed the most in this draft and that means on both sides of the ball. Interior O-Line needs to stop allowing so much and the D-Line needs to actually obtain some. GM Ryan Grigson has grown accustomed to filling needs with free agents and making cuts or seeing important departures in this previous three seasons, but 2016 is massively different for the recently extended roster manager. The only true key departure was ILB Jerrell Freeman jumping state lines to play for the Bears. Players like WR Andre Johnson can be replaced by an undrafted free agent who will be younger, cheaper, and more productive even if they are to sit on the bench the whole season. Another departure was CB Greg Toler, but he was replaced on a similar contract by the much better Patrick Robinson who spent his previous year on the beaches of San Diego. Basically, Grigson hasn’t had to change his draft plans too much since the season concluded except for possibly nabbing an ILB to replace the sizable hole that Freeman has left.
This draft sees the Colts with six total selections and they are all in the middle of their respective rounds sans the 6th round pick which was traded to the Raiders for ILB Sio Moore in the preseason last year. I will take this draft with the approach that all of these picks remain intact and no moving up or down is done. Ideally the Colts would trade back in the 1st round to a late 1st or early 2nd and pick up a 3rd/4th as well. This is one of the deepest fields the draft has ever seen and every pick is going to be valuable. It stings a little that the Colts are already lacking a standard seven picks, but trading back would fix that. Hopefully real life doesn’t pan out for the boys in blue as it is for my forced parameters I have set for myself. Now, without further ado, here is how I would attempt to draft for the Colts in 2016.
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Round 1 (18th overall) – C – Ryan Kelly – Alabama
This kid is an absolute hoss. He is the embodiment of a new aged version of Colts legend Jeff Saturday. He may not be the biggest guy in the world, but he is extremely intelligent and has explosive speed and power for the position. Center has been one of the must bungled positions on the roster for the Colts since the regime change in 2012. Kelly would not only fill a hole, buthe’ll be a mainstay on the line for years to come. This pick would address the porous interior of the offensive line and provide stability for Andrew Luck by giving him a consistent teammate to take snaps from. 18th is a little early to take him, but he is the best center in this draft by a mile and the Colts can’t expect him to be there in the 2nd round.
Alternative Pick: DE/OLB – Noah Spence – Eastern Kentucky
The kid could very well be the best pass rusher in the draft, but he has character concerns. Once a standout at Ohio State University he was removed from the team for failed drug tests and transferred to EKU where he seems to have matured and gotten overhis addictions. Spence knows one thing and that’s how to get to the QB. He does it from both sides of the line, from the OLB position, in the five point stance, or standing up. He does have coverage concerns as he wasn’t asked to do it very often in college. He’s a one dimensional player, but that dimension is better than anyone else’s in this draft or the last few.
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Round 2 (48th overall) – DT – Austin Johnson – Penn State University
Johnson is a big dude. He’s 6’4″ 314 lbs. He’s not the fastest guy at the position, but he is one that will force linemen out of the way for the linebackers to get free runs at the QB. He still had 6.5 sacks last season for the Nittany Lions even without being a speedster. He also had the second most tackles in college football for a defensive lineman with 78 (15 for loss), so he doesn’t let the run get by him. Johnson would be a slight upgrade over 2015 5th round draft pick David Parry though you could expect a lot of rotation on the line to keep legs fresher and provide extra pressure on the opposing team’s QB. Even though he isn’t quick, he does posses an uncanny ability to chase people down by taking smart angles on ball carriers and QBs alike.
Alternative Pick: C – Nick Martin – Notre Dame
Obviously this is the pick that makes the most sense if Ryan Kelly isn’t taken by the boys in blue. Again, an interior lineman is crucial in this draft at both the center and right guard positions. Martin isn’t what Kelly is at the position, but he does have a high ceiling and a bit of pedigree as his brother, Zach Martin, is a centerpiece of the impressive line of the Dallas Cowboys. Plus, he is an Indianapolis native and having a hometown hero is never a bad thing. Martin also has the ability to shift to guard. Having a lineman that can switch positions with little to no fall in their abilities is always appreciated. His biggest downside has to be length. For a guy that is 6’4″ he has incredibly short arms that could hinder his blocks on faster defenders shooting the gap.
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Round 3 (82nd overall) – OLB – Kyler Fackrell – Utah State
Do you like last year’s 3rd round selection Henry Anderson? Well, here is this draft’s equivalent. Fackrell has a high motor, long body, quick first step, and off the charts intelligence. Fackrell has been on a lot of teams’ radars since his pro day workout where he scouts off guard with his athleticism. He is undersized for the position, but putting on muscle shouldn’t be too hard for someone with his praised work ethic. He played in a 3-4 defense so we know he can line up on the edge or play back when he is asked to do so. His coverage is superb and is an area the Colts haven’t gotten from their OLB since the scheme change in 2012. Fackrell isn’t a master at any aspect of his game, but he isn’t sub-par at any aspect either. Nabbing such a versatile player in the 3rd would be steal just like last year’s 3rd round steal that Grigson had.
Alternative Pick: G – Christian Westerman – Arizona State
This pick would address the other hole in the offensive line with a solid run blocking right guard. Westerman has graded out as the strongest guard in the draft with impressive bench press numbers (34 reps of 225 lbs.). The drawback with Westerman is he has issues getting to the second level. A great first punch at the hike of the ball, but a lack of knowing how to extend a play beyond that. With Joe Philbin taking over as line coach and having success with players like Westerman when in Green Bay he could be a gem for this team with the 82nd overall.
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Round 4 (116th overall) – CB – Maurice Canady – Virginia University
I’ll say it right now: Maurice Canady will be the best CB in this draft. He is a Richard Sherman clone in his size, physical strength, and flamboyance. The kid is 6’1″ 193 lbs. and definitely will let receivers know it. He isn’t only big, he’s fast too. Running a 4.49 40 gives him an edge over other defensive backs that play at a similar build. Canady is not a shut down guy by any means though. He does have one trait that is keeping him from being the top CB taken and that’s the fact that when a WR gets past him, he stays past him. Canady is quick, but for some reason does not have closing speed. He needs to be on a team with a safety that can play well deep. Something that veteran Mike Adams does do very well. He had limited work in the slot in college, but when he did play there he was even more dominant than when he played outside. Canady can play all positions in the secondary (SS and FS included) and he was also one of the countries best punt returners with a 25.2 yards per return average and 1 touchdown on five attempts.
Alternative Pick: ILB – Scooby Wright III – Arizona
This is a tough call. I’m not positive Wright would be available in the 4th as he has bounced all around boards rising and falling more than the opening weekend to second weekend box office numbers for Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. Wright is certainly one of the most interesting players in the draft. He was one of the best LBs in the country his freshman and sophomore years, but injuries have certainly hurt his stock. Scooby is undersized, lacks strength, is below average in coverage, and has a bad first step. “Then why would anyone take him?” you might ask. Well, simply put, he is always around the ball. He might not bring a guy down every time, but he gets there first and puts a licking on him that allows others to get there and his pursuing speed is unmatched at the position. Certainly a project, but one that only needs a little tweaking to make him great.
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Round 5 (155th overall) – RB – C.J. Prosise – Notre Dame
It is no secret that the Colts have had a hard time running the ball. Even bringing in RB Frank Gore didn’t get the team a 1,000 yard rusher that they haven’t had since Joseph Addai in his rookie season or a 100 yard game that they haven’t seen since Vick Ballard in his rookie season. Prosise is likely not the answer to those woes, but he is a change of pace back that could spark some much needed big plays on the ground. Prosise is sliding down draft boards because he has an issue with finding a hole and hitting it with the burst that is expected of an undersized back like him. This comes from a lack of experience of starting and because he seems to brace for hits early instead of hunkering down and trying to bounce off a tackler for extra yardage. His pass protection leaves a lot to be desired and he tends to run directly into his blockers. The upside is that he is a fantastic pass catching back to replace the always injured Ahmad Bradshaw and he does posses incredible speed when a big hole is opened for him to charge through. He is not starter material here, or anywhere for that matter, but he could be a solid backup. The real money at the RB position is in next year’s draft, but we need a stop gap between this April and next.
Alternative Pick: FS – T.J. Green – Clemson
This guy can get to ball carriers. He’s an underclassmen and still has a lot to learn about the game and how to go get the ball. So why not stick him behind the aging and retirement loomed Mike Adams? Adams can help teach the kid how to read a pass a little better and Green can provide a spark with his massive hits that he lays on anyone that gets near him. He also had one of the fastest 40 yard dashes with a 4.34 time which only puts him .02 seconds behind top WR prospect Will Fuller. Green is fast and he hits hard. What more could you want from a 5th rounder?
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Round 7 (239th overall) – G – Denver Kirkland – Arkansas
Kirkland is a MASSIVE guy. At 6’4″ 335lbs he would be similar in stature to last year’s 7th round selection Denzelle Good. The only drawback is that is his best trait. He would be hard to go through and take about a week to run around the outside of, but he won’t put up too much of a fight to keep you from trying that approach. He’s extremely slow even for his size and he doesn’t know what to do with his feet sometimes as he tends to tangle himself up while moving backward. He also lacks strength that a man with his build should have. He does, however, have a surprising side-to-side quickness that isn’t really expected when you look at him and his arm length can make up for his lack of upper body strength. Kirkland is also a really tough hombre. He played all of last season with a strained right shoulder that would’ve kept most guys sidelined. Arkansas used him at LG, but he might be suited better at RG if he were to move. Either way, line depth is always needed for a team that has seen the most different starting lineups on the front five every year since 2012.
Alternative Pick: OLB – Victor Ochi – Stony Brook
A player that was built to be in a 3-4 scheme and whose ceiling is higher than Johnny Manziel on a Colorado weekend getaway on April 20th. He is a different kind of OLB as he uses the method of contouring his body around blockers to get to runners and the QB. Sort of like that Robert Mathis guy. He started ten games last year and racked up 13 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss as a senior. Improvements over eleven games started with 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss as a junior. Which was an improvement over his nine game 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss sophomore campaign. Which was an improvement over his five game 3 sacks and 10 tackles for loss as a freshman. So yeah, improvement is a big part of this kid’s game and there is no telling how much more he will continue to do so, but he is expected to keep it up for quite a while. Ochi’s very small for the position and he didn’t have much competition playing at Stony Brook, but he’s someone that perked up a few ears at the Shrine Game last year.
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