Indianapolis Colts' 2012 NFL Draft Analysis

1st Round (#1) QB Andrew Luck, Stanford

2nd Round (#34) TE Coby Fleener, Stanford

3rd Round (#64) TE Dwayne Allen, Clemson

3rd Round (#92) WR T.Y. Hilton, Florida International

5th Round (#136) DT Josh Chapman, Alabama

5th Round (#170) RB Vick Ballard, Mississippi State

6th Round (#206) WR LaVon Brazill, Ohio

7th Round (#208) OT Justin Anderson, Georgia

7th Round (#214) DE Tim Fugger, Vanderbilt

7th Round (#253) QB Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois

Analysis of Notable Selections:

Andrew Luck: The Colts have a hard working and very talented young quarterback to lead the franchise for the next dozen years. It was a good year to have the top overall pick in the draft and that is not always the case.

Coby Fleener: The 2012 NFL draft was not a strong one for the tight end position. However, Coby Fleener has the size and speed to make plays down the seam and be a red zone presence. His blocking is suspect, but he becomes the new Dallas Clark for Indianapolis. What makes this selection even better is that Fleener already has chemistry with Luck from playing together at Stanford. Every quarterback needs a security blanket and Fleener can be this for Andrew Luck.

Dwayne Allen: The NFL is a copycat league and every team noticed the success the Patriots had on offense in 2011 with two tight ends (Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez) featured. Dwayne Allen was the most balanced tight end in this year's draft. He has the size and strength to be a solid blocker and yet also can be a productive possession receiver. Allen could be a better pro than college player. He finds himself in a potentially attractive offense for his skills and a talented quarterback delivering the football to him. Andrew Luck was very comfortable playing in an offense that revolved around a fine group of tight ends at Stanford. The Colts now have two good young tight ends that will be a big part of the offense.

T.Y. Hilton: The Colts add much needed speed, quickness and run after the catch ability with the addition of Hilton. He also provides a boost to their return game as Hilton scored 6 touchdowns in college via kick returns. Hilton faces a major jump in competition and his durability is a concern. He is raw as a route runner and has a small frame. It made sense for the Colts to add a wide receiver with quickness and speed for Luck to find out of the slot. However, Indy did pass on Jarius Wright who played against tough SEC competition and could be a fine slot receiver in the NFL. It will be interesting to compare Hilton's and Wright's production in the NFL.

Josh Chapman: The Colts are converting their defense to the 3-4 and needed a tough nose tackle. Chapman is compactly built (6' and 315 lbs) and was an unsung player on Alabama's championship defense. He manned the nose at Alabama and has the perfect mentality to occupy blockers and do the dirty work required at his position. You cannot have a strong 3-4 defense without good nose tackle play. Chapman represents excellent value in the 5th round and the Colts may have found their future starting nose tackle.

Vick Ballard: Mississippi State did not have many good offensive players in 2011, but Vick Ballard was one of them. Ballard lacks good speed, but he runs hard and finds daylight. He was underutilized catching passes out of the backfield and could surprise in this area. Ballard has solid size (5' 10" and 220 lbs) and the toughness to run inside. The Colts found a back who can contribute as part of a rotation in the 5th round. This was another solid selection by Indianapolis.

2012 NFL Draft Grade: A-

Bottom Line: The Colts will have to draft their way to success and based upon their 2012 class they are off to a good start. Luck was a no-brainer, but the team should be set at the most critical position for a decade. They even addressed the backup quarterback position by choosing the competitive and mobile, Chandler Harnish, in the 7th round. Indy then made sure their franchise quarterback would have a strong pair of tight ends (Fleener and Allen) to throw to. The Colts may have found an answer at nose tackle with the Josh Chapman selection. The only questionable draft pick was T.Y. Hilton in the 3rd round. He will have to prove that he is tough and durable enough to work the slot in the NFL. Indianapolis is in the early stages of a complete rebuilding process. The team did not address a very weak secondary, but there are too many holes to fix in just one draft. A couple of more drafts like this one and Indianapolis will be back in the playoffs.

http://www.profootballdraftnetwork.com provides extensive pre and post NFL draft analysis. The site features scouting reports, rankings, top values, biggest risks, interviews with college coaches and players and mock drafts.

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