2008 NFL Draft: Who is Mike Pollack?

So, there is out team's first round pick. OC Mike Pollack, Arizona State, is yet another of those Bill Polian picks no one saw coming. No one saw the Bob Sanders pick in 2004, and no one saw the Reggie Wayne pick in 2001. So, before we start bashing Bill Polian for passing on Earl Bennett and Cliff Avril, let's settle down and take a look at Mike Pollack.

Here's what NFL.com's Combine page said about him:

Perhaps the strongest and toughest blocker in the Pac-10 Conference, the Sun Devils relied on the leader of their line to stabilize the offense up front...

Plays on his feet and uses his hands effectively to redirect the defender with authority...

All-out battler in one-on-one situations and has a good grasp of the playbook, making all of the blocking calls up front...Good team leader whose work ethic is emulated by the squad's younger players...

Pollack is considered by many to be the best OC in this draft, and at 6'4, 299 is fits the mold of o-linemen the Colts like. Jeff Saturday is 33, and at the end of 2008 his contract is up. Yes, the Colts could re-sign him, or they could go with youth. Pollack is that youth. They essentially did the same thing with Tarik Glenn, and it worked out just fine.

So no, none of us saw this coming, but with Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Dustin Keller, and John Carlson off the board at #59, the Colts opted for o-line.

The Colts have also shouted from the mountain tops that Pollack will play OG, not OC. I don't buy that because of Saturday's age and contract, but here's what they had to say:

The Colts, with the 28th selection of the second round and the 59th selection overall, chose Pollak, who was generally considered one of the top centers available in the draft.

Pollak will play guard for the Colts, club President Bill Polian said.

"I’m so excited right now," Pollak said in a conference call with Indianapolis media a few minutes after his selection. "I’m so pumped to be coming to be a Colt.

"This is something that sort of really shocked me. It was a big surprise."

Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy told him shortly after his selection he will get a chance to compete for a starting position at guard, Pollak said.

"Mike played center at Arizona State, but really the type of offense they ran you saw him do a lot of the things we ask our guards to do," Dungy said.

Day two of the draft begins at 10am Eastern.

Photo: Getty Images, Otto Greule, Jr.