Indianapolis Colts - AFC South

Indianapolis Colts - AFC South, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects

Indianapolis Colts

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 Projection: Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 1

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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 Projection: Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 14

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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 Projection: 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 Projection: 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 Projection: Fifth Round  CFN Position Rank: 10

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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 Projection: Fourth Round  CFN Position Rank: 2

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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 Projection: 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 Projection: 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 Projection: Fifth Round  CFN Position Rank: 7