NFL Mock Draft 2017: Todd McShay has Colts taking an offensive lineman in his latest mock draft

The Indianapolis Colts have focused heavily on the defensive side of the football so far in free agency, adding three outside linebackers and a defensive lineman as compared to just one offensive player, guard/center Brian Schwenke.

Does that mean the Colts might address the offensive side early in the 2017 NFL Draft? ESPN’s Todd McShay thinks so, as in his latest mock draft he has the Colts using their first round pick on Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp.

Rebuilding the offensive and defensive lines has to be a priority for the Colts. Edge rushers such as Takkarist McKinley or Charles Harris could make sense here, but Lamp is the best all-around offensive lineman in this draft. He played left tackle in college, but projects as a guard in the NFL. Flip on his tape against Alabama. This kid is for real.

Lamp was a very good player at the collegiate level, as he started 51 games as a four-year starter. He spent most of his time at left tackle, though in the NFL many expect him to move inside to play guard. That position flexibility, however, will likely make him even more valuable to teams, and he’s certainly a good player.

But is this really a good pick for the Colts? We know they could use guard help, and Chris Ballard has emphasized the need to build up front in the trenches on both sides of the football. There’s always the chance that we could see the Colts address their right guard or right tackle position this offseason, and that’s what drafting Lamp would do. But at the same time, the Colts desperately need help on defense, and there will be a number of good defenders avaialble when the Colts pick 15th in the draft. Because of that, I think a number of Colts fans won’t like it if the team takes an offensive lineman with their first pick, and it’d be hard to blame them. Sure, Lamp may be a very good player, but there will be other very good players available at number 15 overall too who could prove far more valuable to the Colts in both the short and long term.

What are your thoughts on this pick, Colts fans?