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April 24, 2009

NFL Draft: Colts have 8 picks to bolster defensive line, receiving corps

By Tom James

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts will have the 27th pick in the first round of the National Football League draft, which commences at 4 p.m. today. NFL Network and ESPN will both provide television coverage.

Rounds one and two are set for this afternoon and evening, with the third through the seventh rounds scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Indianapolis will have eight draft picks to work with: 1/27; 2/61; 3/92; 4A/127; 4B/136 (compensatory); 5/165; 6/201; and 7/236. The Colts selections today should come approximately around 7 p.m. [first round] and 9:45 p.m. [second round].

Fans shouldn’t expect the Colts to trade to move up into the 10 or 15 picks. If past drafts are any indication, presdient Bill Polian would prefer to move down out of the first round to early in the second round if, and that’s a big if, the player [or players] that he’s looking for have a chance to be available there.

He did that in 2001 when he went from the 22nd pick of the first round to the 30th position and then selected wide receiver Reggie Wayne. And 2004, Polian moved down from late in the first round to early in the second when he took safety Bob Sanders.

There is an outside chance, however, that he could move up in the middle selections of the first round if he feels that it’s necessary to get the right player. It’s safe to say, though, that trying to figure out which direction Polian may eventually go is anybody’s guess.

As for what positions the Colts are looking to improve in the draft, Polian won’t say. He intimated earlier this offseason that defensive tackle would probably be where Indianapolis would be looking first. A week later, however, he said that receiver was a priority. And that was before the team released veteran receiver Marvin Harrison.

And when push finally comes to shove, don’t be too surprised if Polian goes into an entirely different direction.

“You measure the talent available to you and you try to measure their talent as best you can, and all of the other concerns you come to the table with,” he said recently. “Then, you try to take the best player. I just think you try to take the best player, basically.

“We don’t draft specific need almost anywhere. If the need line and talent line cross, then fine, but we try always to take the best player. Because of the nature of [the media], you guys focus on the first round. We’re probably past that faster than you can blink an eye and focused on all of the rest of [the draft].”

Indianapolis Colts draft breakdown since 2006 -- Total picks: 25; 2008 starters: 10; 2008 backups: 10; With other NFL teams: 0; Out of the league: 1; Injured reserve/physicall unable to perform: 4.

Team needs

• Wide receiver — With Marvin Harrison gone and the jury still out on backups Roy Hall and Pierre Garcon, the Colts need to find a big-play receiver to help get the usual high-scoring offense back on track. Indianapolis likes receivers who are smart, disciplined and are good route runners.

• Defensive tackle — Get bigger along the defensive line. The Colts need to bolster both their physicality and size up front without giving up any athleticism and speed. There are a couple of defensive tackles in the draft this year who fit that description.

• Linebacker — Improve the overall depth at all three linebacking positions. Indianapolis is always looking for play-makers with speed over sheer size, especially at weak side and strong side linebacker. Finding a dependable backup to middle linebacker Gary Brackett would be good, especially considering he is returning from a lower leg injury that sidelined him for the last month of the regular season in 2008.

• Running back — Questions abound at running back for the Colts. With veteran Dominic Rhodes signing a free agent deal with the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis is left with Mike Hart, who continues to rehab from knee surgery, along with Chad Simpson and Lance Ball to serve as backups to starter Joseph Addai. Both Simpson and Ball showed some ability late last season, but additional depth would be good.

• Cornerback — While Kelvin Hayden returns after signing a contract extension in the offseason, Marlin Jackson and Michael Coe both continue to recover from knee surgeries. Top backup Keiwan Ratliff signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday. Tim Jennings played well at times last year but needs to develop more consistency. Dante Hughes has yet to emerge as the type of corner the Colts are looking for.

• Punter — Hunter Smith, an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year contract with the Washington Redskins on Thursday. Smith’s absence, as both a punter and as a holder for placekicker Adam Vinatieri, creates a big hole that needs to be filled

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