Quite simply this is the order, with the Colts scheme, needs and depth, that I'd take players in the first round.
| Tier 1: | Dream On | ||||
| # | Player | Pos. | School | H/W | Notes |
| 1 | Ndamukong Suh | DT | Nebraksa | 6'4" 307lbs | Suh is still the man. Great production, racking up 161 tackes, 40 for a loss, 19.5 sacks and 3 INTs (2 returned for TDs!) the past two seasons and worked out well at the combine. If this was a sandlot game, meaning salary and marketing weren't issues, Suh would be the obvious first pick. |
| 2 | Eric Berry | S/CB | Tennessee | 6'0" 207lbs | A playmaker at safety coming from a Tampa-2 system under Monte Kiffin. Has the cover skills and physicality to play anywhere in the secondary. Berry and Suh are special players. |
| 3 | Russel Okung | OT | Ok. State | 6'5" 307lbs | The first movement from the pre-combine board. Okung showed freakish wingspan and strength to solidify himself as the clear #1 tackle. |
| 4 | Gerald McCoy | DT | Oklahoma | 6'4" 295lbs | Good enough to be the top DT in the draft most years, coming out this year makes him a consolation prize for a team dreaming of Suh, but whoever drafts him will be happy with what they got. |
| 5 | Derrick Morgan | DE | Georgia Tech | 6'3" 266lbs | Generally considered the top end in the class, Morgan is an accomplished pass rusher and strong against the run. |
| 6 |
Bryan Bulaga |
OT | Iowa | 6'6" 314lbs |
Not a phenom athlete and coming off a rough year due to a thyroid infection but, Bulaga is as technically sound as it gets in pass pro with strength in the game game. |
| 7 |
Earl Thomas (WTHWTD) |
S/CB | Texas | 5'10" 208lbs | Thomas is a great young DB who could contribute at safety or corner in a zone scheme, and either stay at safety or with a little time, be converted to CB, in a man D. |
| 8 | C.J. Spiller | RB/RET | Clemson | 5'11" 196lbs | Yeah the Colts don't need another back but Spiller is a dynamic returner in addition to great running and receiving skills. |
| # | Player | Pos. | School | H/W | Notes |
| Tier 2 | Cross your fingers | ||||
| 9 | Charles Brown (WTHWTD) |
OT | USC | 6'5" 303lbs | Brown is NFL ready in pass pro. He needs to keep bulking up, but he can handle the edge just fine. |
| 10 | Brandon Graham (WTHWTD) |
DE | Michigan | 6'1" 268lbs | Was absolutely unblockable in the senior bowl and in much of Big10 play. A strong DE he played the run well and even shifted inside on him passing downs. Fantastic college production. |
| 11 | Kyle Wilson (WTHWTD) |
CB/RET | Boise St. | 5'10" 194lbs | Wilson was a very good returner and has the skills to be an excellent corner. |
| 12 | Anthony Davis | OT | Rutgers | 6'6" 330lbs | The mauler that the teams unhappy with Okung's size dream of. Of course he comes with the requisite flaw of the type... weight issues. Is listed 34lbs lighter than he began his college career. Some concerns about inconsistent technique and effort. |
| 13 | Dan Williams | DT | Tennessee |
6'2" 327lbs |
Played the 1-tech in Kiffen's Tampa-2 last year. Most likely to land as a 3-4 NT, but could certainly stay holding steady the middle of a 4-3. |
| 14 |
Mike Iupati (WTHWTD) |
OG | Idaho |
6'5" 331lbs |
A mauling guard with great athleticism. He's drawn comparisons to Chiefs G/LT Branden Albert. Iupati might be able to develop into a tackle, but his immediate future is as a stud guard. |
| 15 | Rodger Saffold (WTHWTD) |
OT | Indiana | 6'5" 316lbs | Gaining steam in the offseason, but he had the college career to merit late 1st/early 2nd consideration. Long time starter at LT who kept elite DEs Brandon Graham and Adrian Clayborn pretty quiet in their meetings, holding players who totaled 21 sacks on the year to just 0.5 combined in the 2 games. |
| 16 | Trent Williams | OT | Oklahoma | 6'5" 309lbs |
Struggled in pass pro at LT last year, but has the athletic tools. Should start out at RT, maybe making the flip back to LT down the road. |
| 17 | Maurkice Pouncey (WTHWTD) |
C/G | Florida | 6'4" 304lbs | The top center in the class, with experience at guard. Pouncey is the picture of a solid, but not sexy pick. |
| 18 | Jerry Hughes (WTHWTD) |
DE | TCU | 6'2" 255lbs | Great pass rusher, with the best edge rusher projection in the draft class according to Football Outsiders research into what makes edge rusher success. |
| 19 | Devin McCourty (WTHWTD) |
CB | Rutgers | 5'11" 193lbs | Perfect scheme fit, primarily a zone guy, but has man experience. Solid size and a very willing and capable run supporter. |
| 20 | Kareem Jackson (WTHWTD) |
CB | Alabama | 5'11" 194 | Aggressive CB with good man experience and zone skills. Good effort against the run. |
| Tier 3 | Consolation Prizes | ||||
| 21 | Jared Odrick (WTHWTD) |
DT | Penn St. | 6'5" 304 | Athletic tackle to add size and strength to the 3 tech. Duplicates a lot of what Fili Moala is hoped to do. |
| 22 | Golden Tate | WR/RET | Notre Dame | 5'10" 190lbs | Great returner, with impressive hands, he ran surprisingly well at the combine. The optimistic comparison is Steve Smith (Carolina edition). How would Indy get him on the field? Shit, I don't know, but the talents certainly worth the pick. |
| 23 | Brian Price (WTHWTD) |
DT | UCLA | 6'1" 301lbs | Serious concerns about Price's fitness and conditioning have me down on him. The talent to be a disruptive gap shooter is there, but he has to get and stay in shape. |
| 24 | Sean Weatherspoon (WTHWTD) |
OLB | Missouri | 6'1" 239lbs | Weatherspoon is a ideal prospect for the WILL position and could play the middle as well. He's got very good cover skills and is well rounded elsewhere. |
| 25 | Ryan Matthews | RB | Fresno St. |
6'0" 218lbs | Excellent runner with a nice size/speed combo. Not a lot of experience in the passing game, but what he showed was positive |
| 26 | Jermaine Gresham (WTHWTD) |
TE | Oklahoma | 6'5" 261lbs | Gresham's strengths aren't really played to in and in-line blocker role, but he's going to be a very good receiving TE and has the frame to grow into a great blocker. |
| Tier 4 | Time to trade back | ||||
| 27 | Sergio Kindle | DE | Texas | 6'3" 250lbs | Very good pass rusher, and played the run well at LB, but not experienced or skilled enough in coverage to play LB in Indy |
| 28 |
Chad Jones (WTHWTD) |
S/LB | LSU | 6'2" 221lbs | Jones is a very intriguing, high potential pick, but he's risky. He doesn't have the speed of the safeties current getting serious PT, and a position change piles on more risk. |
| 29 |
Tyson Alualu | DT | Cal | 6'3" 295lbs | Alualu's gotten some buzz as a safe late 1st round pick. Unlikely to be an elite player, but not likely to bust out. |
| 30 | Everson Griffen (WTHWTD) |
DE | USC | 6'3" 273lbs | Strong run defender with legitimate pass rush ability. Would be able to fill the run down DE, and backup DE roles. Underachieved in college. |
| 31 | Bruce Campbell | OT | Maryland | 6'6" 314lbs | Campbell lit up the combine, but his lack of experience, injury history and shaky on the field play has me thoroughly scared off. |