Sometimes I’ll see footage of how the NFL Draft used to look on television and long for simpler times.
Rotary telephones. A small table for announcers as they voice opinion on whether some franchise fumbled by selecting a cornerback in the first round. The prerequisite interview with the commissioner.
Now it’s a full-blown circus. Three-day, if not three-ring.
The made-for-prime-time event starts Thursday night in Nashville, Tennessee. Barring a trade, the Indianapolis Colts have the 26th pick in the first round, a position so unspectacular that Dean Biasucci or Gary Hogeboom could be reading the index card at the podium.
Potential sleep deprivation aside, this is a good thing. Landing in the draft’s top 10 usually means your favorite team was an unwatchable mess the previous season.
Indianapolis, a surprising 10-6 in the regular season and one victory from the AFC title game, was anything but that. Only now the Colts can’t sneak up on anyone and the regular-season schedule is more difficult.
The franchise needs to continue moving forward, not take a step back. Offseason acquisitions like rangy receiver Devin Funchess and four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Justin Houston definitely help areas of need, but success in the draft is as important.
The question being, with 25 picks made, who will be left in Round 1?
A glaring need for a pass rusher (Indy tied for 19th in quarterback sacks last season) means general manager Chris Ballard is looking that direction. Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is a 6-foot-4, 300-pound mass of line of scrimmage disturbance, but will he still be on the board?
If not, how about, say, Clemson’s Dexter Lawrence or his Tiger teammate, Christian Wilkins?
Receiver and cornerback are other positions Ballard must address. Indianapolis is scheduled to pick twice in Round 2 (34th and 59th overall), once in the third and two more times in the fourth round.
The return of quarterback Andrew Luck played a major role in last year’s turnaround, but so did the way the Colts navigated the draft.
Offensive lineman Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard were named to every all-rookie team and are on a fast track to winding up in the Ring of Honor inside Lucas Oil Stadium a good 15 years from now.
Elsewhere, running backs Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines combined for 79 receptions and 650 yards rushing, Braden Smith started at right tackle and defensive ends Kemoko Turay and Tyquan Lewis finished their rookies seasons with four and two sacks, respectively.
Ballard needs his next group of draft selections to produce like the last group did. The same goes for the 2020 class and beyond. Locating talent that fits your scheme and culture is a big part of sustaining success in the National Football League.
Ballard is the right man for the job. All Colts fans can do at this point is sit back, watch and trust.
