Who the Hell will they draft? Part 4

Will Polian go WR in the first round, like he did in 2001 Photo: AP

The last time the Colts had a pick this late in the first round, they chose Reggie Wayne, a WR out of Miami. Colts fans lambasted the decision, mainly because the Colts defense was so bad that help, ANY HELP, of any kind was needed. Why draft a WR when the Colts already had Marvin Harrison? The offense is fine. DRAFT DEFENSE.

Fast forward to now: Reggie Wayne is considered a top 10 receiver even though he plays second fiddle to Marvin Harrison. Meanwhile, the defensive players Polian passed up in 2001, guys like Fred Smoot, Will Allen, Derrick Gibson, Willie Middlebrooks, or Ryan Pickett, all stink today. The first round draft class of 2001 featured guys like Tomlinson, Richard Seymour, and Marcus Stroud. Reggie Wayne is right up there with them.

That's why this year don't be surprised if Polian does it again. With Brandon Stokley gone to Denver, the Colts are looking for WR depth. If so, look no further than Ohio State's Anthony Gonzalez. He's got all the things the Colts look for in a WR. They don't look for crazy speed, amazing leaping ability, or "raw talent." They look for guys that catch the ball, run great routes, and work hard. Gonzalez fits that, and at 6 feet and 193 pounds, he's like a Stokley clone (except now as fast).

Another possibility is that the Colts go nuts and draft Brian Leonard, FB out of Rutgers, with the 32nd pick. With Rhodes gone, perhaps replacing him in a two back set with a FB-HB hybrid like Leonard works. Leonard is a lot like Mike Alsott, and Dungy loves Mike Alsott. He might want to translate some of the style of offense to the Colts. It's a thought, manly because I still have no idea who the Hell the Colts will draft April 28th.