Most likely Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian spent the weeks leading up to the draft’s first round envisioning a scenario where he could repent for last year’s sin of passing on former Indiana -- and current St. Louis Ram -- offensive tackle Rodger Saffold. Though probably not the wisest choice, Polian publicly lamented the decision to draft former TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes instead, pining for Saffold as if he were a long lost girlfriend that got away. So while Polian often goes against conventional thinking when it comes to the draft, he couldn’t possibly have foretold his intentions any clearer. Fortunately for Polian and the Colts, showing his hand did nothing to thwart their plans, and their dreams turned into reality when Boston College tackle Anthony Castonzo fell into their laps at No. 22.

Castonzo represented the Colts dream scenario entering the draft. While many had USC tackle Tyron Smith as the top-rated lineman in the draft, I have to believe the Colts preferred Castonzo. While Smith’s potential had scouts drooling, Castonzo is ready to make an impact now, and with the Colts eying the stretch run of Peyton Manning’s Hall of Fame career, they needed an immediate upgrade to a line that failed to protect Manning as well as they had in the past and couldn’t create space in short-yardage situations. At 6-7 and 305 pounds, Castonzo will not only be a major upgrade along the line, he’ll present a massive presence and a pedigree the Colts haven’t had along the line since Tarik Glenn retired. The AFC South champions instantly got better with one pick.

But Polian wasn’t done yet. While Manning may be 35, he’s on the verge of signing a five- or six-year deal and the Colts aren’t ready to bid him adieu just yet. And with his age making him even more susceptible to pressure than he was in his prime, Polian jumped at the opportunity to add another talented body along the offensive line in Villanova tackle Ben Ijalana. Though he played on the FCS level, Ijalana could blossom into a solid starter at the NFL level. While he may need some grooming, Castonzo’s presence allows for the Colts to take their time with Ijalana if they have to. Then again, it also wouldn’t surprise if he outplayed his competition and managed to work his way into the starting lineup by midseason; this Colts line isn’t exactly saturated with talent, and at 6’4 and 317 pounds, Ijalana has the bulk the Colts have been lacking.

The Colts also continued their tradition of drafting undersized defensive tackles with LSU’s Drake Nevis in the third round. Nevis should help against the run, but he should also add a much-needed pass rush from the middle, something the Colts haven’t had in quite some time. They also added sure handed running back Delone Carter from Syracuse. The East-West Shrine Game MVP isn’t overly explosive or extremely rugged, but he is solid in almost every area and the one thing he doesn’t do is fumble, and ball security is extremely important to Manning and the Colts offense; think Mike Hart. The Colts rounded out their draft with seventh-round defensive back Chris Rucker from Michigan State. While certainly not special by any stretch of the imagination, remember the Colts have shown an ability to turn seventh rounders and undrafted guys into solid contributors, so he could be worth keeping an eye on.

While I believe the Colts did an excellent job in aggressively addressing their biggest weakness, my only complaint would that they didn’t add much speed, the other area the Colts seem to be lacking in. When you don’t have a lot of bulk, typically you would think that means it was sacrificed for speed. However, the Colts are the rare team with neither that still finds ways to be successful. And as I do every year, I will openly pine for an explosive return man to give Manning better field position. Eventually one of these years the Colts will draft a speedy corner or receiver who doubles as a returner and can bring the Colts dynamic versatility and the luxury of one player taking care of two positions. But as has become expected, this was not the year.

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-- BRANDON KOPCEUCH
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