Andrew Luck ranked the best franchise "cornerstone" by NFL.com

There's a lot that goes into finding a player to build a franchise around.  That's a big reason why the NFL Draft has become such a huge thing now - at least a few teams are looking for that player who will turn around their entire franchise.  And with the way the NFL is right now, that player is almost always going to be a quarterback.

So which player already in the league is the best one to build a franchise around?  NFL.com's Chris Wesseling looked at that question and developed a list of the top eleven "cornerstones" in the league.  His number one is one that is certainly shared by many around and in football: Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.

Here's what Wesseling wrote of Luck:

1. Andrew Luck, Colts: Already a prodigy in the pocket and a fourth-quarter comeback artist entering his third season, Luck is now leading the NFL in attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdowns. He's second in first-down percentage and third in throws over 20 yards. The Colts offense is No. 1 in both yards and points per game.

He combines youth, ideal body type, athleticism, arm strength, football IQ, leadership and commitment. Former NFL general manager Charley Casserly has anointed Luck the best young quarterback he has ever seen since entering the league in 1977. Current Colts general manager Ryan Grigson has compared his quarterback to Michael Jordan with the game on the line.

Also, this.

You can read the rest of the list here, but his number one isn't really a stretch.  Luck is everything you want in a quarterback, who can both throw the football incredibly well and make plays with his legs, who can escape pressure and is undeniably tough, who understands the game, who possesses great leadership skills, and who is only in his third year in the league and has more room to grow.

Luck currently leads the NFL in passing yards, touchdowns, completions, and attempts and is in the top ten in most other statistical categories, such as completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating.  His Colts' offense is the number one passing offense in the league and the number one overall offense in terms of yards per game and points per game.  Not only does Luck have the talent, he has been showing it on the football field.

If you had to choose one player to build a franchise around right now, who would it be?  For Chris Wesseling, myself, and a number of others, it'd be Andrew Luck.