Now that the NFL Scouting Combine is finished and the free agency merri-go-round has completed its turn, we can finally focus on the event that truly makes teams win over a sustained period of time: The NFL Draft.
New Era Scouting has a list of players each team has expressed interest in. Mocking the Draft has scouting reports on many of these players. There are also other draft sites, and the NFL's Combine page, which provide accurate information on speed, character, and other important player traits. Just like the past two years, we will have profiles between now and late-April for several players we either know or think the Colts have targeted.
New Era has the list of players they know Indy is interested in as such:
Cody Brown, DE, Connecticut
Mark Sanchez, QB, Southern California
Jason Williams, OLB, Western Illinois
Michael Hamlin, SS, Clemson
Derrick Williams, WR, Penn State
Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
Mitch King, DE, Iowa
Chip Vaughn, SS, Wake Forest
David Bruton, FS, Notre Dame
Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati
Zach Follett, LB, California
Ron Brace, DT, Boston College
We plan to do profiles on these players, plus a few others. Guys like Sen’Derrick Marks and Percy Harvin will also be profiled, even though I'd be very surprised the Colts will draft either. The profiles are for the entire draft, not just guys we think the Colts will take with the first or second picks. We try and profile guys we think Indy will take in rounds 6 and 7. We even go so far as to pick who they will sign as rookie free agents.
If you have a player the Colts should go after, please list him in the comments. As for the Colts draft strategy, Pro Football Weekly has made it clear that Indy is strongly leaning in one direction:
First things first: Yes, the Colts recognize the need for a third wide receiver for their spread formations, given the release of Marvin Harrison and their lack of a proven wideout behind Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez. At the same time, the fact that TE Dallas Clark flexes out so often into the slot and out wide considerably lessens the need. We continue to hear that wide receiver will be addressed with the Colts’ first pick in April’s draft, though it would come as no shock if they addressed the interior of their defensive line instead.