SB Nation's NFL Draft blog, Mocking the Draft, is doing a team-by-team breakdown of needs heading into the 2011 NFL Draft. Recently, they got to talking about the Colts.
If the Colts want to get back to an elite level in the NFL they will have to improve in the trenches and that starts on offense. Not only will an improved offensive line go a long way in keeping Indianapolis’ franchise player healthy, but it will also improve a running game that finished 29th in the league (92.7 yards per game) this past season. It’s a scary thought to think how productive Manning could be with a healthy group of receivers (and Dallas Clark) and improved offensive line.
On the other side of the ball, the Colts arguably feature the best defensive end tandem in the NFL. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are both coming off strong seasons, but with little help at defensive tackle they could only do so much. Indianapolis had the 25th worst run defense and it is apparent defensive tackle is an urgent need.
Lots of stuff we already know. In fact, we could take this same description and plug it into the pre-Draft needs for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Colts.
Still, it's yet another reliable source that solidifies the team's needs. They even discuss the weakness at strong safety, and this was written before Melvin Bullitt essentially said his tenure in Indianapolis was up.