During the draft process, the number of mock drafts can get quite numerous. There's one prominent analyst, however, who releases just one mock draft throughout the entire process, as NFL Media's Mike Mayock released his first and only mock draft on Wednesday, the day before the draft.
As has become very popular over the past few days, Mayock has the Colts taking Alabama center Ryan Kelly in the first round with the 18th overall pick.
Kelly is big enough to play all three positions on the offensive line. Indy needs to protect the franchise, as Andrew Luck has been beat up.
Mayock did a conference call with members of the media last week in which he really talked up the potential of Kelly to the Colts. "Ryan Kelly, the center from Alabama could be [available]," Mayock said. "Ryan Kelly's a top-tier offensive lineman in this draft. He could play center or guard, but he's the top center in this draft. So I think Ryan Kelly could be an interesting guy at 18."
Ryan Kelly would certainly be a welcome addition for the Colts up front, as they need to improve their offensive line to protect Andrew Luck and open up running lanes. Kelly is a reliable player who could step in right away to play center for the Colts, and he could be a guy who remains as their starting center for years to come. That's certainly not bad value at number 18, and it's a move that very well could happen. The best news of all, though? We're only a few hours away from actually finding out for sure who the Colts will take.