The NFL Draft is finally getting close, and that means that we'll only have to endure a few more weeks of mock drafts before we can focus on the players that teams actually take. We're not at that point yet, however, so there are still plenty of mock drafts being released.
Today, SB Nation's Dan Kadar released his most recent mock draft as he typically does on Mondays, and he has the Colts taking Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd in the first round with the 18th overall pick:
There really isn't a guard who has value with the No. 18 overall pick for the Colts, so they could look to fill that considerable hole in the second round. In the first, they would be smart to go with Floyd. He's a fleet of foot pass rusher who has versatility.
We've seen other mock drafts projecting the Colts to take Kansas State guard Cody Whitehair in the first round, but Kadar doesn't think the value for that pick is as good as it is for Floyd at number 18, so he has the Colts taking the pass rusher. That's a good way to approach things (rather than just forcing a lineman to the Colts like so many others do), and the hope would be that Floyd could become that reliable young pass rusher that the Colts have been so desperately lacking in recent years.
Not to worry, though: Kadar does have the Colts addressing their offensive line. In the second round of his mock draft, he has the Colts adding Stanford guard Joshua Garnett with the 48th overall pick. Then in the third round of the draft, Kadar has the Colts taking Arkansas running back Jonathan Williams with the 82nd overall pick.
In short, Kadar has the Colts addressing three needs in the first three rounds without forcing them to take an offensive tackle in round one. In this mock draft, he has the Colts adding a pass rusher, an interior offensive lineman, and a young running back who could play behind Frank Gore and continue to develop. That wouldn't be a bad haul for the Colts when looking at the mock draft from the standpoint of their needs.