Colts Mock Draft

I am conducting the draft under a couple assumptions:

1. The Colts will release Peyton Manning. I personally feel like Manning will play in 2012 for someone, but it won't be for the Colts. His rehab, although progressing, doesn't appear it will have him healthy enough by the time his $28 million roster bonus comes due, and the Colts cannot afford to lock up a question mark with that kind of money.
2. Reggie Wayne and Jeff Saturday aren't going to be re-signed. Both are Free Agents, both have played their entire careers with #18 calling the shots, and both are left on the outside looking in when the Colts bid Manning farewell. Saturday will retire and Wayne will get paid to play somewhere else.

1. Andrew Luck - QB, Stanford 6'4", 230 lbs.
2. Mark Barron - SS, Alabama 6'2", 215 lbs.
3. Michael Brewster - C, OSU 6'4", 315 lbs.
4. Nicolas Jean-Baptiste, NT Baylor 6'2", 335 lbs.
   1. Compensatory pick for Clint Session: DeQuan Menzie, CB Alabama 5'11", 195 lbs.
5. Ryan Broyles, WR/PR OU 5'11", 195 lbs.
6. Tank Carder, ILB TCU 6'2", 237 lbs.
   1. Compensatory pick for Charlie Johnson: Ryan Van Bergen, DE Michigan 6'6", 285lbs.
7. Nick Provo, TE Syracuse 6'3", 249 lbs.

And an explanation for the selections:

1. Andrew Luck - no explanation needed. RG3 had a great college career, and he could have an equally great pro career, but Andrew Luck has got everything you are looking for in a franchise quarterback. The Colts want to leave as little to chance as possible while entering this rebuilding mode, and Luck is as can't-miss as it gets.
2. Mark Barron - After QB, I believe Safety is the biggest need for the Colts. A good safety in the NFL affects all aspects of the defense. Barron has the size, strength and instincts to become an elite safety in the NFL. He's a good ball-hawk from the safety position, tallying 12 INTs in more or less 3 seasons at Alabama (he played sparingly to say the least as a freshman in 2008). With Antoine Bethea, Barron makes the Colts defensive secondary immediately a higher caliber unit. At 6'2", 215, he lays some wood when he hits, and he strikes me as a Sean Taylor-type safety.
3. Michael Brewster - I was really split here between Brewster and Ben Jones out of Georgia, but I went with Brewster because he's a much better pass blocker, and according to Walter Football his skill set projects as a good run blocker in a zone-scheme. Although he's a bit bigger than Saturday, but it'd be an understatement to say he has some big shoes to fill. Still, he's the 2nd rated Center on the board, and the Colts need to infuse some young talent in their offensive line to protect their new franchise QB.
4. Nicolas Jean-Baptiste - The Colts need a big, run-stuffing body to anchor their defensive line going forward, and I think they'll find their man in the 2012 draft. We could opt to select Poe or Ta'amu earlier, but I think this is a relatively deep draft for NTs this year. NJB is an extremely powerful NT who - when he's playing well - will require double teams, and is hard to move off the ball. His technique still has a way to go, but he has the size and the talent to excel at the NFL level.
   1. Comp. Pick - DeQuan Menzie - It's no secret that our CB play was terrible last year. A lot of people have Minnefield, Dennard or Gilmore slotted in for us in Round 2, but I thin if Barron is available we have to take him. Largely overshadowed by the other beasts in the secondary at Bama (Dre Kirkpatrick, Mark Barron), Menzie is my sleeper pick in this draft. He's a physical DB who likes to play press coverage. He played safety early in his career at Alabama, and also has the quickness to line up opposite the slot, making him an extremely versatile defensive component. I like this guy.
5. Ryan Broyles - With Reggie Wayne leaving, the Colts need to find a solid WR in the draft to help fill the void. I know Broyles tore his ACL this past season, but before that he was putting together a compaign that projected him as has as a 2nd Round pick. He's a great route-runner with excellent hands, and he's extremely quick. Projects as a slot receiver, but I think he's fast enough to stretch the field - which is something we know new OC Bruce Arians loves to do with burners like Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. I think Broyles fits the profile of a Bruce Arians WR perfectly.
6. Tank Carder - With the apparent transition to a 3-4 hybrid defense, the Colts need to get bigger at the ILB position. Admittedly, the name Tank alone kinda made this guy standout to me. Has great speed for a LB, and does well in both run support and in coverage, and even had a 69-yd pick six this past year (1 of 2 INTs returned for a TD by him). Has been named the Mountain West DPOY for the past two seasons.
   1. Com. Pick - Ryan Van Bergen - Again, this pick is for the purpose of shoring up the defensive personnel for the switch to a 3-4 hybrid. Van Bergen has got the size and frame for a big, 3-4 DE. He's notched 5 sacks each of the last two seasons, but he's more of a Jamaal Anderson type DE who'll get a sack here and there, but is mainly served to be a big body on the DLine to slow the running attack.
7. Nick Provo - Dallas Clark is coming off the worst season in his professional career, and could very well be a cap casualty this season. He's due $8.8 million in 2013, so there's a chance he won't be on the roster for too much longer. Tamme's good, but he's not great. From the TE position last year, Provo grabbed 51 receptions for 537 yards and 7 TDs. For a College TE, those are exceptional numbers. His scouting reports project him as a good route-running TE with above average hands, and certainly worth a 7th round flyer.

I'll probably do another Mock or two before draft day, but let me know what you think.