Indianapolis Colts - AFC South

Indianapolis Colts - AFC South, 2009 Draft Selections & Prospects

Indianapolis Colts

- 2009 NFL Draft Breakdown and Analysis
1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | 6th Rd | 7th Rd
- CFN 2009 Draft Central & Team-by-Team Picks and Analysis

The Draft Was ... Functional. Taking Donald Brown will help keep Joseph Addai fresh, but the big key was getting Fili Moala and Terrance Taylor for the defensive interior. No one will move those two around.
Best Value Pick: Curtis Painter, 6th round, 201st pick. He'll be an upgrade as a No. 2 quarterback and he could be a terrific prospect to develop for the next three years. Remember, he was considered by many to be the No. 1 senior QB prospect before last season.
Biggest Reach: Jerraud Powers, 3rd round, 92nd pick. He doesn't have elite speed and he's not all that physical. Besides that, he's worth the third round pick. He was a sixth round prospect at best.
They Should've ... Gone for a few outside linebackers. The defensive tackle situation was taken care of, but there wasn't any help for the outside. Taking WR Juaquin Iglesias or Louis Murphy would've done more than picking up Powers in the third round.

#	Pick
27	27	1st Round  Donald Brown, RB Connecticut 5-10, 210 (Jr.) The ultra-productive Brown led the nation in rushing last season and has quickly grown into a hot prospect. While he’s not all that huge, and is a bit too thin, he’s ridiculously strong for his size and is fantastic at making the quick cut through the hole, any hole. He’s fast, but he doesn’t have breathtaking wheels like a Chris Johnson. While he might not built to be a workhorse at the next level and he might not do anything that stands out from the other top prospects, he’s a very good, very reliable runner who isn’t going to be for anyone. If he’s on the right team, particularly one that needs a one-cut runner and doesn’t need a whole bunch of power on a consistent basis, he could become a star. CFN Value Rank: Second Round    CFN Position Rank: 5
24	56	2nd Round (from Miami)  Fili Moala, DT USC  6-4, 300 While he’s a little old, he’ll be 24 when he starts his NFL career, and he’s a finished product with little upside, he can still get bigger with room to get stronger on his large frame. He’s big, athletic, and moves extremely well, but he disappears too often in games and doesn’t have a full-time motor; he doesn’t make too many plays just by trying hard. If he’s developed the right way, and a fire is lit under him, he could become a strong interior pass rusher and he could flourish as long as he’s not asked to be the anchor of a front four. He’s not going to do much as a nose in a 3-4, but he could occasionally play end if absolutely needed. CFN Value Rank: Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 6
28	92	3rd Round Jerraud Powers, CB Auburn 5-9, 188 (Jr.) Ready to go and be productive right away even though he's only a junior, he has good ball skills and is polished and quick. He won't tackle anyone and he doesn't have the elite speed to hang around with NFL receivers one on one, so he'll need to be part of a zone scheme with more athletic defensive backs around him. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: 29
27	127	4th Round Austin Collie, WR BYU 6-2, 200 (Jr.) While everyone just assumes Michael Crabtree led the nation in all the top receiving categories because of the offense he was in, but it was Collie who led the nation in receiving yards. While he doesn’t run all that well and he’s not all that quick, he’s a pure receiver who runs great routes, catches everything, and goes after the ball well. He’s a polished target, but he doesn’t have a lot of upside. CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round    CFN Position Rank: 22
36	136	4th Round Terrance Taylor, DT Michigan  6-1, 305 An intriguing prospect if he can keep his weight in check, Taylor is a big space-eater who ripped off a Combine-best (for a defensive tackle) 37 reps on the bench. While he’s not a great athlete, he’s not a stick in the mud, either. He’ll never come up with a sack and he’s not going to be too active, but he could be a great value able to play any tackle spot. However, he struggled at times in post-season workouts and has seen his stock drop in a big way since the end of a good junior season. Even so, he’ll be an inexpensive flier worth taking. CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round     CFN Position Rank: 11
28	201	6th Round Curtis Painter, QB Purdue 6-3, 225 When the 2008 season started, Painter was supposed to be the top quarterback prospect among the seniors. Without the great receiving corps he had earlier in his career, he struggled early on as he pressed too much to make thing happen. After losing his job for a stretch, he came back roaring to close out his productive career with a bang. He has good size, a live arm, and just enough mobility to get by. With a good attitude and the right makeup, he could be the type of prospect who sticks with a team for a few years and then shines once he gets his chance. While he has a lot of the tools, he needs to find a killer instinct. He didn’t lead Purdue to many big wins and he wasn’t clutch. However, he’s worth developing. CFN Value Rank: Sixth Round      CFN Position Rank: 7
13	222	7th Round (from New Orleans through Philadelphia) Pat McAfee, P West Virginia 6-0, 230 Consistent and with an accurate leg, McAfee came up with a strong senior season averaging 44.7 yards per kick while putting 25 inside the 20. He has been a weapon for the Mountaineers for four years and was equally strong as a placekicker. He doesn't have a cannon for a leg and can't be used on kickoffs. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: 6
27	236	7th Round Jaimie Thomas, OT Maryland 6-4, 323 While he's a tackle prospect, he'd be better suited to play inside. Not all that athletic, but fine in a phone booth, he can shove people around and he's not all that bad for the running game. While he has a big body and a big frame, he's not in the best of shape and he's not great on the move. He could be a decent backup who'll get a shot to show what he can do. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: NR

2008

The Draft Was ... Better than the critics might give it credit for. Linebackers Phillip Wheeler and Marcus Howard fit the system, and Mike Pollak and Steve Justice should boost the interior of the O line. Mike Hart could be the steal of the second if he turns out to be a solid backup behind Joseph Addai. No one gets production out of mid-range prospects like Indy.
Best Value Pick: Steve Justice, C Wake Forest. 6th round. While he's purely a center, and Jeff Saturday isn't going anywhere, Justice has the potential to become a fixture on the line in a few years. Several teams will wish they thought harder about taking him.
Biggest Reach: Jacob Tamme, TE Kentucky. 4th round. While he's a good receiver who fits what the Colts do, they can plug any tweener tight end into the system and get production. Adding more secondary help might have been more prudent.
They Should've ... Gotten some defensive linemen. The draft never really worked out where the value for the D line was there when the Colts picked. Even so, the front line has to be addressed somehow in the near future.

#	Pick
28	59	2nd Round   Mike Pollak, C/OG Arizona State Able to play center or guard the big, strong anchor of the Arizona State line is great on the move and is the type of player who'll be plugged into a lineup and won't leave for ten years. It's not his fault the Sun Devil line had such a lousy year in pass protection. While he's not a brutish run blocker and isn't going to flatten too many defenders at the pro level, he can be a dependable cog in a finesse attack. CFN Value Rank: Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 1

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93

3rd Round   Philip Wheeler, OLB Georgia Tech A big outside playmaker who was a good all-around player for the Yellow Jackets for the last three years, Wheeler has the look of a defender who can do a little of everything. However, he's not a power linebacker and can get shoved around, and he's not all that fast and not that great in pass coverage. He started out his career as a defensive back and he has that kind of all-around athleticism, but he could use some more work on his game to find the right niche in a defense. CFN Value Rank: Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 14

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127

4th Round   Jacob Tamme, TE Kentucky A pure receiver who was great in his senior season as one of Andre Woodson's top targets, Tamme is a nice athlete with the potential to be a good H-back. If he gets the right quarterback, he could quickly become a go-to receiver on third downs. He's not big and he'll never get much larger than 240 pounds; forget about the blocking. CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round   CFN Position Rank: 11

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5th Round   Marcus Howard, OLB/DE Georgia Originally considered poor man's Quentin Groves as an NFL prospect, Howard is an undersized defensive end who has to make the full-time conversion to outside linebacker. At 6-0 and 237 pounds, he's not all that small, and he shocked everyone by tearing off a 4.45 in post-season workouts to get on the radar. While he only did it for one year at Georgia, serving as a backup for the first three seasons, he turned into a tremendous pass rusher. He's a finesse player who'll have to learn to be more than just a pass rusher, the upside is limitless. CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round      CFN Position Rank: 10

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6th Round  Tom Santi, TE Virginia He's not Heath Miller, another Virginia product, but he's a good athlete who produced for four years and had a nice senior season despite playing in a non-passing offense. He's not afraid to go over the middle and will keep the chains moving. Fast enough, he will find ways to get open. While he's not a special talent, there's no downside and he could serve as a serviceable ten-year pro who goes to work, gets the job done, and flies under the radar. CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round  CFN Position Rank: 10

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201

6th Round  Steve Justice, C Wake Forest Incredibly productive over the last three seasons for the underappreciated Wake Forest line, Justice is extremely agile and isn't afraid to get down and dirty to make a block. Tough as nails and dependable enough to be an every-day player, there's no concern about having problems with little injuries. The problem is his size at 6-3 and 293 pounds with little room to get bulkier. While he's quick, he'll struggle with the bigger tackles. He's a pure center and likely can't be moved to guard. CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round  CFN Position Rank: 2

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202

6th Round  Mike Hart, RB Michigan Ultra-productive, never fumbles, and is as hard and tough a runner as a 5-9, 200 pounder can be. He won't tear off any big runs and he will never last a 16-game season if he's a featured back, but he'll block, be a dirty-work runner who can crank out long drives, and he has a major attitude, in a good way. You know what you're getting, there's no upside to hope for, but he's still good enough to be a nice reserve back. CFN Value Rank: Late Third Round to Early Fourth Round  CFN Position Rank: 10

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6th Round  Pierre Garcon, WR Mount Union At around 6-0 and 210 pounds with 4.4 speed, he has the measureables to merit a long look. He's tough, plays fast, and isn't afraid to block. While he'll need work to become an NFL receiver, and only produced against D-III competition, he might be worth the time and effort. However, he's at least two years from playing on offense; he needs to make an early mark on special teams. CFN Value Rank: Sixth Round  CFN Position Rank: 25

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7th Round  Jamey Richard, C/OT Buffalo A great three-year starter who dominated at the MAC level, he's a 100% motor guy who always finishes his blocks and always looks for someone to hit hard. He needs work on his technique and he'll need to be broken down and built back up again by an NFL coaching staff if he's going to be a tackle, and he's a bit too tall and lanky at 6-5 and 294 pounds to be a prototype center. Even so, he'll stick on a team as a backup. CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round  CFN Position Rank: 7