Quote:
Originally Posted by Puck
Barkley and Chubb will be gone before we pick at 6. Nelson will be available and no one is going to want to trade up. We will pick at 6 or take a lot less than most think on here. If we pick at 6 and Nelson is there..... He would be the BPA
|
Depends on what is meant by "a lot less" IMO. Certainly I don't think (as I said above) the Colts could expect to get both of Buffalo's 1st round picks, but something like the trade I mentioned might be realistic and would be approximately "equal value" on the trade charts. And the 12th pick would still have lots of value for the Colts in this draft, especially on defense.
I think the key to this draft for them is the 2nd (and to a lesser extent 3rd) round, more than the 1st. So moving from #6 to #12 in order to get 2 more picks between #49 and #67 would be potentially attractive to me.
If Ballard keeps the pick, I don't have a major problem with that either. If he uses it to draft Nelson, so be it. Personally I'd be VERY reluctant to use the 6th overall pick, in any draft, on any offensive lineman other than a very promising left tackle, and I don't agree with those who think the addition of Nelson would dramatically improve the Colts' OL--too many other issues there IMO. But I wouldn't get bent out of shape if that does turn out to be Ballard's choice.
Same for Smith. Personally I think he'd be something of a reach at #6, given that I feel he can realistically only play one position (W) in the pros, but if he stays healthy he should be able to play that position at a very high level, especially compared to Indy's current LB corps.
And, again, in some ways I'm actually more interested in seeing who might fall to the Colts at #36, #37, #49 and #67 than in seeing what their choice is at #6. Some really talented OLs, CBs and RBs should still be there when Ballard picks in Round Two--maybe Round 3 as well.
Possibly a LB (Malik Jefferson?) will fall farther than he should on Draft Day as well. I wouldn't mind seeing what an LB combo of Smith and Jefferson might look like 2-3 years down the road.
Or an OL combo of Nelson and, maybe, O'Neill in Round Two. Possibly with some RB like Michel or R. Jones drafted in between them?
And maybe the Colts could get lucky and see a promising CB (Carlton Davis?) slide to Round 3. Stranger things have happened....especially with teams like Cleveland drafting.