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Since January, I've had all kinds of people ask me, 'So, who will the Colts take in Round One this year?' The honest answer to the question is, 'I have no friggin clue.' But, in this business, people don't like that answer. You have to give them something. So, my fallback answer is usually 'Derek Sherrod, Miss St.'
It's a safe answer. It's an easy answer.And, in general, if the Colts were to take Sherrod over someone like Nate Solder or Mike Pouncey, I'd be fine with that.
Thus, when SBNation.com's Brian Galliford and Mocking The Draft's Dan Kadar their final and definitive mock draft as we countdown to Thursday, April 28th, I was pleased with the selection they made for the Indianapolis Colts. Also, after the jump, my buddy Ed Valentine of SB Nation New York does a mock draft and makes an interesting selection for the Colts.
From SB Nation:
22. Indianapolis Colts: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State. For whatever reason, Sherrod remains highly undervalued by the draft community. He's a plug-and-play left tackle in Indianapolis.
We profiled Sherrod earlier this month. In general, he is a great pass blocking left tackle with the 'red flag' that he might not be a 'tough' player. Similar size and talent to Tony Ugoh. The hope with Sherrod is, unlike Ugoh, he was a vocal team leader in college.
From Ed at SB Nation NY, here is his selection:
Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
Best guess here is that Indianapolis would love to see Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi or Boston College's Anthony Castonzo fall to this spot. They might even be tempted by Florida OG/C Mike Pouncey here. The Colts simply have to upgrade their offensive line.
They were near the bottom of the league running the ball in 2010, as they have been the past couple of seasons. They just can't move anybody off the ball. Besides which, Peyton Manning is the franchise and they need to keep the immobile Manning in one piece to have any chance at a Super Bowl. A solid offensive line is a must.
In making this same selection for the Colts, Draft Countdown's Scott Wright had this to say:
Colorado’s Nate Solder is a former tight end and as a result he brings a rare blend of athleticism and nimble feet to the offensive tackle position. Solder is still developing, physically and mentally, and is far from a finished product but he has as much upside as any blocker in this class.
SB Nation's Mocking The Draft concurred, saying "Solder has more upside than any early round lineman in this year's draft."
What's interesting about Ed's pick is that, with the pick right before the Colts, he has the Chiefs taking Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi. It's my belief that if someone like Carimi falls past Pick No. 18, Indy will look to move up and get him.