MI_Buckeye
05-18-2011, 01:34 PM
Chiefs are up next. If you are interested in knowing the remaining order of my reviews, it is available in the Chargers review thread.
Indianapolis Colts
Where the franchise stood before the draft:
Perhaps no team had one single more urgent priority than the Colts. PROTECT PEYTON MANNING!!!
18 has elevated this franchise like few in the history of sports. He has done it all. In the course of starting every game in the first 13 years of his career, he has played in two Super Bowls, winning one, won multiple MVPs, taken the Colts to the playoffs in all but two seasons and will probably leave the game with every significant passing record in the game. When you talk about a player being the franchise, Manning is the penultimate example.
And the best news is, he is not going anywhere anytime soon.
However, Manning's marks of durability are getting harder to maintain with the amount of abuse he has taken the past several years. Since the retirement of Tarik Glenn, the Colts have tried a whole lot at LT to keep their franchise standing up. Surrendering a first round pick for Tony Ugoh didn't work out, neither has Charlie Johnson. GM Bill Polian even went as far as to publicly express regret over not taking current Rams LT Rodger Saffold in last year's draft. Perhaps no pick was easier to mock than OT to the Colts.
That being said, this team has plenty of other areas of concern. The defense is not exactly championship-caliber, and they are particularly weak in the interior defensive line, an area often thought of as the engine of the Tampa 2 scheme. Former DPOY Bob Sanders is no longer with the team and depth in the secondary is a significant issue.
The Colts still have championship football in them, but the window is closing. It really is not a stretch to say how the Colts perform in the 2011 draft will determine how much longer that window stays open.
The Picks
Round One, Pick 22: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
Great pick. I thought Castonzo was the best tackle among the first rounders. He is a technician with explosive hands. He is a natural knee and hip bender, enabling him to handle counter pass rush moves much better at this stage of his career than OTs taken earlier like Tyron Smith and Nate Solder.
I also love the edge Castonzo plays with. He is an old-fashioned BC lineman, and while he doesn't dominate in the run game like Chris Snee, he is more than willing to get involved in some extra-curriculars if he feels his players are being threatened.
The one issue with Castonzo is whether he has the feet to be an elite pass protector. He is a former tight end with good athleticism, but his lateral quickness is just a couple rungs above average.
All things taken into consideration, Castonzo looks like a significant upgrade. It was pretty obvious the Colts had found their blindside protector for years to come until ...
Round Two, Pick 49 (from Washington): Ben Ijalana, OT, Villanova
Bill Polian typically doesn't like to trade up in the draft, and he definitely doesn't like taking players from lower levels of play. That must tell you Polian likes Ijalana almost as much as I do.
One of my pet prospects, Ijalana was simply dominating in both the run and pass games at Nova. Because of his height at 6'3", many analysts initially projected Ijalana inside at OG, but when they realized he had one of the longest wingspans in the draft to go along with really good feet, I think more decision makers warmed to the idea of keeping him at OT.
Like Castonzo, Ijalana is a natural bender and plays with great leverage. In getting two of the most polished linemen in the draft, the Colts greatly improved their chances of keeping Manning healthy now. The only question is where do you play both of them.
Call me crazy, but I think we could very well see Ijalana starting on the left side while Castonzo takes over at RT this season. Peyton has to be smiling.
Round Three, Pick 87: Drake Nevis, DT, LSU
This is a typical Bill Polian pick, taking perhaps the most productive player from a major football factory left on the board.
This past season, Nevis trailed only Nick Fairley, not only in the SEC but nationally, in terms of making plays from the DT position. Nevis plays with a great motor and an elite first step. He is pretty significantly undersized but fits into the Colts' defense better than he would most.
The Colts needed a player at DT almost as much as they needed a couple of OTs. Daniel Muir and Fili Moala finished last season with a combined ZERO sacks. Pathetic, especially for this scheme.
Round Four, Pick 119: Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse
Carter gives the Colts their most physical runner in years. He is tough between the tackles and has tremendous balance. He breaks a ton of tackles but has very little wiggle in his game.
Carter will be the short-yardage back immediately with the opportunity to compete for more playing time down the road. This is also a pick to help protect Manning, as the current backs have had issues with protection.
Round Six, Pick 188: Chris L. Rucker, CB, Michigan State
The Colts are typically one of the most character-conscious teams in the league, so it is curious that here they take a guy with more baggage than Santa Claus.
Rucker is a good, physical corner who doesn't wow you in any one area of the game. Get burnt playing press man but will not be playing much of that in Indy.
All in all
The Colts have a couple glaring holes, and I think they filled the wonderfully. I honestly can't criticize any of the first three picks; I think they were that full on.
Thanks to their first two picks, I don't think we'll be talking about OT as a need for the Colts for a very long time. Nevis will be a starter and will give them an interior pass rush they may never have had.
The Day Three picks are a bit more suspect, but I think both guys bring something of value.
This small class has no developmental feel to it whatsoever; it's win now baby. This class helps the Colts as much as any top-tier team take that next step to contend for Lombardi next season. One of the very best drafts in the whole league.
Overall Draft grade: A
Indianapolis Colts
Where the franchise stood before the draft:
Perhaps no team had one single more urgent priority than the Colts. PROTECT PEYTON MANNING!!!
18 has elevated this franchise like few in the history of sports. He has done it all. In the course of starting every game in the first 13 years of his career, he has played in two Super Bowls, winning one, won multiple MVPs, taken the Colts to the playoffs in all but two seasons and will probably leave the game with every significant passing record in the game. When you talk about a player being the franchise, Manning is the penultimate example.
And the best news is, he is not going anywhere anytime soon.
However, Manning's marks of durability are getting harder to maintain with the amount of abuse he has taken the past several years. Since the retirement of Tarik Glenn, the Colts have tried a whole lot at LT to keep their franchise standing up. Surrendering a first round pick for Tony Ugoh didn't work out, neither has Charlie Johnson. GM Bill Polian even went as far as to publicly express regret over not taking current Rams LT Rodger Saffold in last year's draft. Perhaps no pick was easier to mock than OT to the Colts.
That being said, this team has plenty of other areas of concern. The defense is not exactly championship-caliber, and they are particularly weak in the interior defensive line, an area often thought of as the engine of the Tampa 2 scheme. Former DPOY Bob Sanders is no longer with the team and depth in the secondary is a significant issue.
The Colts still have championship football in them, but the window is closing. It really is not a stretch to say how the Colts perform in the 2011 draft will determine how much longer that window stays open.
The Picks
Round One, Pick 22: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
Great pick. I thought Castonzo was the best tackle among the first rounders. He is a technician with explosive hands. He is a natural knee and hip bender, enabling him to handle counter pass rush moves much better at this stage of his career than OTs taken earlier like Tyron Smith and Nate Solder.
I also love the edge Castonzo plays with. He is an old-fashioned BC lineman, and while he doesn't dominate in the run game like Chris Snee, he is more than willing to get involved in some extra-curriculars if he feels his players are being threatened.
The one issue with Castonzo is whether he has the feet to be an elite pass protector. He is a former tight end with good athleticism, but his lateral quickness is just a couple rungs above average.
All things taken into consideration, Castonzo looks like a significant upgrade. It was pretty obvious the Colts had found their blindside protector for years to come until ...
Round Two, Pick 49 (from Washington): Ben Ijalana, OT, Villanova
Bill Polian typically doesn't like to trade up in the draft, and he definitely doesn't like taking players from lower levels of play. That must tell you Polian likes Ijalana almost as much as I do.
One of my pet prospects, Ijalana was simply dominating in both the run and pass games at Nova. Because of his height at 6'3", many analysts initially projected Ijalana inside at OG, but when they realized he had one of the longest wingspans in the draft to go along with really good feet, I think more decision makers warmed to the idea of keeping him at OT.
Like Castonzo, Ijalana is a natural bender and plays with great leverage. In getting two of the most polished linemen in the draft, the Colts greatly improved their chances of keeping Manning healthy now. The only question is where do you play both of them.
Call me crazy, but I think we could very well see Ijalana starting on the left side while Castonzo takes over at RT this season. Peyton has to be smiling.
Round Three, Pick 87: Drake Nevis, DT, LSU
This is a typical Bill Polian pick, taking perhaps the most productive player from a major football factory left on the board.
This past season, Nevis trailed only Nick Fairley, not only in the SEC but nationally, in terms of making plays from the DT position. Nevis plays with a great motor and an elite first step. He is pretty significantly undersized but fits into the Colts' defense better than he would most.
The Colts needed a player at DT almost as much as they needed a couple of OTs. Daniel Muir and Fili Moala finished last season with a combined ZERO sacks. Pathetic, especially for this scheme.
Round Four, Pick 119: Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse
Carter gives the Colts their most physical runner in years. He is tough between the tackles and has tremendous balance. He breaks a ton of tackles but has very little wiggle in his game.
Carter will be the short-yardage back immediately with the opportunity to compete for more playing time down the road. This is also a pick to help protect Manning, as the current backs have had issues with protection.
Round Six, Pick 188: Chris L. Rucker, CB, Michigan State
The Colts are typically one of the most character-conscious teams in the league, so it is curious that here they take a guy with more baggage than Santa Claus.
Rucker is a good, physical corner who doesn't wow you in any one area of the game. Get burnt playing press man but will not be playing much of that in Indy.
All in all
The Colts have a couple glaring holes, and I think they filled the wonderfully. I honestly can't criticize any of the first three picks; I think they were that full on.
Thanks to their first two picks, I don't think we'll be talking about OT as a need for the Colts for a very long time. Nevis will be a starter and will give them an interior pass rush they may never have had.
The Day Three picks are a bit more suspect, but I think both guys bring something of value.
This small class has no developmental feel to it whatsoever; it's win now baby. This class helps the Colts as much as any top-tier team take that next step to contend for Lombardi next season. One of the very best drafts in the whole league.
Overall Draft grade: A