:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45721710/usa-today-7702649.0.jpg)
The NFL Scouting Combine is an opportunity for the 32 NFL teams to meet with and interview briefly a number of different prospects, and as such you'll hear a lot of players linked to the Colts this week. It's crucial to keep in mind that just because a player meets with the Colts doesn't mean the Colts will draft said player, because there are a large number of players each team meets with at the Combine.
With that said, a report from the Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder today says that the Colts have already met with a center at the Combine. Per Holder, Auburn center Reese Dismukes said that he's already met with the Colts.
With that said, however, what Holder writes after that is important to note: "But you should know going in that [general manager Ryan] Grigson is not keen on investing anything more than a late-round selection at the center position and would have to have a dramatic change of heart to do so."
This is a perfect illustration of the Combine. We note this news because, well, it sounds like the Colts met with Dismukes and we want to pay attention to that, but at the same time this move illustrates that just because a team meets with a player it doesn't mean he's number one on their draft board or that they're planning on addressing that position early on. Holder notes that, currently, they wouldn't spend an early pick on the center position. The reason they meet with players at the position like Dismukes this week is in order to do their due diligence. They'll meet with a lot of players for that reason.
It sounds like Ryan Grigson and the Colts were happy with Khaled Holmes this season and it's fully assumed that Holmes will enter next season as the team's starter. There's always room to improve and it's a good thing that the Colts are covering their bases, but don't expect them to bring someone in as the starting center this offseason, whether that be through the draft or through free agency. If they do add a center, it would likely be for depth purposes only.