Who The Hell Will They Draft? Idaho G, Mike Iupati

Whether the Colts are trying to get bigger or just better on the OL, the 6'5" 331lb Iupati would do it. Iupati is a mauling run blocker, whose immense strength and excellent quickness off the snap makes it near impossible for a defender to push the pocket on him. While he's a departure from the normal small athletic archetype, he's not a immobile "big fatty", moving surprisingly well in space for a man his size.

The concerns with Iupati focus on the low level of his usual competition, playing at a non-BCS conference school, and his technique needing continued improvement. Iupati is a high potential player who has already begun showing major signs of turning athletic skill into football skill, unlike many of the eye-popping athletes in the draft.

Iupati's physical skills have drawn comparison to Chiefs guard turned Left Tackle Branden Albert, though Iupati struggled pass protecting at tackle in the Senior Bowl. Iupati might develop into a excellent tackle, and might even be able to kick out to right tackle relatively soon, but it'll take some work to make him a left tackle, if he ever gets there at all.

I'm breaking this review of the scouting reports down a bit differently. First off all the glowing praise, then a big lump of all the technique critiques.

Mocking the Draft

Has very good pre-snap awareness to diagnose where a play is coming from.... Rarely gets pushed around at the line of scrimmage. Keeps his shoulders square. Always stays on both feet....Gets into position incredibly quickly. Gets from a three-point stance to having his arms up and his legs wide really fluidly. Moves off the line of scrimmage without hesitation. Has the quickness of a Pro Bowl left tackle....Iupati has excellent footwork. Has a quick outside step. When he has to, Iupati works upfield quickly. Picks up stunts against quick ends well..... Good help blocker, especially against ends who work to the inside. Has a strong hand punch to jolt defensive linemen....For a player his size, it's surprising just how good Iupati is at pulling. he works really well on the move, working from left to right. Doesn't make missteps. Is best when his target isn't on the move. ..... Can be dominant on run blocking because of his size and strength. Aggressive off the snap, which helps him get leverage. Does a nice job of moving to the side and pushing defenders into the pile to create running lanes. Keeps a good base and doesn't get pushed back....Does nicely off the snap dipping his shoulder and driving into defenders. His functional strength is ready for the NFL. He's strong throughout his torso and has powerful legs. Looking at his frame, he could even get bigger, which is scary considering he's already at 330 pounds......

CBS Sports

Good initial quickness off the snap. Provides a significant jolt to the defender with his punch..... strong hands to latch on to the defender and ride him throughout the play. Good balance and lateral agility to slide with the defender and remain square. Long arms and great lower strength to lock out. Rarely takes a step back even against a powerful bull rush.....Can dominate as a run blocker due to his mass and rare upper-body strength. Provides an explosive initial pop that often knocks the defender back. Very good drive blocker when he plays with leverage and keeps his hands inside. Can physically remove the defender from the hole. Looks to eliminate more than one defender on the play and will release to the second level. Good effort downfield.....Surprisingly agile in getting out and blocking at the second level. Good body control and straight-line speed for a player of his size. Can re-adjust in space to hit the linebacker......Good initial quickness off the snap in pass protection. Even on the rare occasions when beaten off the snap, his long arms and wide-body make it difficult for defenders (including blitzing linebackers) to sneak through his gap. When beaten by quicker defensive tackles in the running game, has the agility and long arms to catch them as they slide by, typically knocking them down and pancaking them.......Made significant progress over the past two seasons and appears to be just scratching the surface of his potential. Size and athleticism combination enough that some will view him as a better offensive tackle.

NFL.com

Iupati has terrific size for an interior blocker. Plays with a lot of toughness and tenacity. Exhibits outstanding power in the running game and in pass protection. Has very good body control and balance. Possesses great short area quickness and really jolts defenders. Appears to have heavy hands in pass protection.

and the technique concerns (MtD and CBS)

Needs to sustain his blocks longer. Should stay on his initial man and finish off the block.  Too often Iupati releases his block to work on another defender.Tends to move around too much instead of staying in his area.Could do a better job of keeping his knees bent in run blocking so defenders don't get under his pads. Iupati has to do a more consistent job with proper hand technique. At times would get complacent and drop his arms.Can get himself in trouble with leverage by playing too high. Has to do a better job of latching on, as he'll knock his opponent back only to see him regroup and get back into the play.Fails to lock onto the defender, at times, preferring to violently shove his target to the ground and look for others..Downfield: Will misjudge angles at times, and miss his intended target.

So in all we have a lineman with fantastic potential who has already tapped enough of it to be a very successful player at the mid-major FBS level. Iupati's issues are coachable and not overly concerning.

Because Iupati is the excellent blend of potential and production he's another player who while it's possible he's available for Indy, it's probably less likely than not. If he's there though, the Colts can grab a upgrade in size and ability at guard and a possible future tackle.