They don’t necessarily have to be the “starter,” they can still see significant playing time though. Besides, offensive lineman regularly start the same year they are drafted.

The logic is retarded though. I don’t care if Nicks would be the BPA (which he wouldn’t be). Just because some badass DE fell to the Colts at 27, and he was the BPA, doesn’t mean you just draft the guy to draft him. Same goes for a QB. It would be a WASTED PICK. So you guys, or just shake, can argue for BPA all day long, but that doesn’t make the idea of wanting Nicks because he is the BPA any less bad.

If we take a WR in Round 1, I’m all about drafting Nicks. Of all the receivers I’ve seen he is the most “Colts-like”

You agree with all the others I listed going higher than 27 though, correct?

Here’s my point, I still think you’re looking at it as BPA for the COLTS. Not as BPA. All any team has to do is take one player from that list right there, or reach for a need, and boom, one of those players that is pretty much guaranteed to be gone before our pick drops to us. Granted, if it’s a DE or QB, no big thing. But the chances of Raji/Gilbert/Hood/Jerry and the others you mentioned, plus the players that are definitely BPA for the entire draft, not the Colts, leaves Nicks as MAYBE the BPA at 27 with Harvin and Beatty in your opinion.

The thing is though, you’re at the limit, and basically said those 26 players have to go for him to be considered BPA. I can pretty much promise that Tyson Jackson and Harvin will be rated higher by other teams, not the Colts. And then there are the “very possible” in Freeman, Beatty, Harvin, Michael Johnson, English and more than a few others being taken before 27.

What’s my point? For Nicks to be in the conversation for BPA at 27, there’d pretty much have to be a perfect storm in terms of drafting. I’m almost positive that most of the players listed initially would be BPA over him, and several of them would BPA for the Colts. They only project 4 skill position (5 if you count Pettigrew) and 2 QBs going above 27. So that means if any other skill position drops, defensive players and O-lineman are the ones most likely to drop. And aside from DE, I could either say those positions are as great a need, or more of a need than WR. And according to your hypothetical of 4 DTs being taken, that means you have 4 DTs, 5 LBs, and 5 O-line going. That’s 14 of the 26 players going before us being in positions I consider a much stronger need than WR. Granted, I’m not saying all the LBs fit our system, but the LBs (aside from Laurinaitis who actually does fit our system) will almost certainly be taken pretty high. And hey, if not, I’ll take Matthews and his 4.57 over Nicks.

And what’s your perceived dropoff by position? On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being low dropoff and 10 being from an elite prospect to crap. Mine would be (and this is just how I’d rank them in my opinion, you don’t have to, nor do I think you’ll agree. I’ll go from the list of 26 players and list them at that position and a couple dudes I’d think would stand a good chance to go next);

1. QB – Stafford, Sanchez (Freeman, White) – Dropoff 3 (even though I think White could be the best of the bunch)
2. OL – J. Smith, Oher, Monroe, A. Smith, Britton (Beatty, Loadholt) – Dropoff 7 (I could interchange Beatty with Britton, but past that the Oline take a serious downturn)
3. OG – Robinson (Levitre, H. Johnson) – Dropoff 8 (Really the only first round guard in the draft. Huge dropoff past him)
4. C – Mack, Unger (Luigis, E. Wood) – Dropoff 6 (It’d be higher if it were just Mack)
5. RB – Moreno, Wells (D. Brown, McCoy) – Dropoff 4 (Any one of those dudes could be the best of the bunch)
6. LB – Curry, Maualuga, Laurinaitis, Cushing, Matthews (Sintim, Beckwith, Ellerbe) – Dropoff 9 (Huge dropoff in LBs. Goes from 1st round to 3rd round at best)
7. DT – Raji, Hood, Jerry, Gilbert (Marks, Brace, Moala) – Dropoff 8 (Although the first four aren’t perfect, they don’t have some of the glaring problems that the 2nd “tier” DTs do. I’d probably wait until the 3rd if that’s what we had to go with)
8a. I know I’m skipping a couple positions, but I don’t see us taking a DE, kicker etc so whatever. WR – Crabtree, Maclin, Britt (Nicks, HWB, Robiskie, Harvin) Dropoff 6 (Not too huge, definitely a step down from Crabtree and Maclin though)

8b. WR with Nicks in the 1st – Crabtree, Maclin, Britt, Nicks (Harvin, Robiskie, HWB) Dropoff 3 (I couldn’t even tell you straight up that Nicks is better than Robiskie. Not to mention I think Harvin’s right up there with Crabtree and Maclin)

That’s my point. A perfect storm would have to happen. That’d only come about if the 23, or however many from trades, got together and said “Let’s totally make it so the Colts have to take Nicks.” Yeah, it’s POSSIBLE, but the chances of it happening are slim to none. And not to mention, even if that did happen, I still think Harvin, Brown, Beatty, and Robinson would all be better choices.