NFL Mock Draft 2017: Three-round mock draft has Colts addressing multiple needs

Mock draft season is underway, and we’ll be seeing countless names associated with the Indianapolis Colts in these mock drafts over the coming months.

One commonality, however, seems to be the assumption of an edge rusher in the first round. That’s a good thing, too, because that’s the Colts’ biggest area of need and it’s a strength of the 2017 draft class.

This week, SB Nation’s Dan Kadar released a three round mock draft in which he has the Colts addressing the pass rush in the first round, running back in the second round, and offensive line in the third round.

Here’s what Kadar has the Colts doing in the first three rounds:

1st round, pick 15: Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama

The opinion on Williams seems to be greatly mixed. Those who love him see the big impact he made on limited snaps. Those that don’t question why he wasn’t on the field more. He could be a player who’s draft position is based largely on his timing numbers at the scouting combine.

2nd round, pick 47: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford

3rd round, pick 79: Roderick Johnson, OT, Florida State

The Tim Williams pick in the first round is one that I’m sure we’ll see quite a bit of for the Colts in mock drafts, and for good reason. He’s a good pass rusher who likely should still be available around the time the Colts pick. He would absolutely help the position of need and give the team a legitimate young pass rusher to work with, so it’d be a good pick.

The second round pick is very interesting, as Kadar has the Colts taking exciting Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey. If he’s still there in the second round for the Colts to take, he could be a very good fit for what they’re looking for in a running back. They have 34-year old Frank Gore and need a young, dynamic back behind him, and that’s McCaffrey. He’s an explosive playmaker from the running back position who also has very good skills as a pass-catcher - plus he’s a capable kick and punt returner. For the Colts’ passing offense (and especially with Gore still around for another year), the addition of McCaffrey would make sense to give the team a playmaker both on offense and on special teams.

As for Roderick Johnson, he started at left tackle in college so would need to move to the right side of the line with the Colts, but it’s possible that Chris Ballard will address the offensive line at least somewhat this offseason, given his emphasis on the trenches. Getting Johnson in the third round could be a good compromise on that matter, as it would still allow the Colts to address bigger needs with their first couple of picks before getting a lineman in the third round.

What are your thoughts on this mock draft?