2017 Colts - NFL Draft - bayers3's Dynasty

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2017 Colts - NFL Draft

Posted on May 31, 2015 at 12:44 AM.

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THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR (COLTS DYNASTY REPORT)

ARLINGTON - The NFL Draft made it's trip to Dallas this year thanks to the gracious efforts of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The draft took place at AT&T Stadium, the first football stadium to host the event, and over twenty thousand fans made the trip. With the Colts crushing the season and free agency they headed into the draft with a short list of needs.

The Atlanta Falcons made Nebraska QB Ron Milliner the #1 overall pick, and the Buffalo Bills made Miami C Terry Brown the #2 pick. Indianapolis was trying to trade up for Brown, but ultimately the price was too high. The story of the Colts draft was trading out of the 2017 draft and into the 2018 draft with three separate trades that left them with only four selections. With no DT or TE with a 1st round grade left GM Phil Emery sent the 32nd pick to Dallas, who selected Missouri QB Khris Bloom, in exchange for a 1st & 3rd round pick in 2018. Emery also sent their 6th rounder to New Orleans for a 5th round pick in 2018 and their 7th round selection to Seattle for their 6th round selection in 2018.

While this draft was a snooze for Colts fans they will head into the 2018 draft with a whopping 13 picks thanks to the Donald Thomas trade with Pittsburgh. Their haul includes two picks in every round but the 2nd, if they can't fill their roster needs next year they might kick Emery out the door.

2017 NFL Draft - Indianapolis Colts
Pick	Player	College	Pos	Ht	Wt
1 (32)	Traded to DAL
2 (64)	Tanner Farrell	Florida A&M	MLB	6'-2"	240
3 (96)	Charlie Harris	California	HB	5'-11"	220
4 (128)	Domonic Cosby	Rutgers	FS	6'-1"	195
5 (160)	Jamerson Ogeltree	Clemson	CB	6'-0"	190
6 (192)	Traded to NO
7 (224)	Traded to SEA

DRAFT ANALYSIS

Best Pick(s) : Trading the 32nd pick to Dallas, MLB Tanner Farrell

With all of the best OL and DT prospects taken the trade with Dallas nets a 1st and 3rd rounder for next year. Chances are the Cowboys will not be one of the top teams in the NFL next year, so the Colts are looking at two good 1st round picks next year. Farrell flew under the radar during the season, but he wowed scouts during the combine and interviewed well. After reviewing his game film more and more teams became interested in the Florida A&M player and Indianapolis made him the first FCS player taken in the draft. He has elite size and good speed, shows sound fundamentals and looks well above average in pass coverage. If Farrell had been a Power 5 player he could have made it into the 1st round.

Worst Pick(s) : FS Domonic Cosby, CB Jamerson Ogeltree

With the Colts playing more and more Dime/Quarters coverage grabbing some secondary depth seems like a good idea. The problem is that Cosby will be a backup at best with Branch Daniels firmly seated in the starter position, that pick could have been better used on a DT. Ogeltree certainly looks interesting on paper, with good size and elite speed, but his coverage skills and footwork aren't nearly as sharp as scouts had hoped. His time at Clemson was unremarkable, and his time with Indianapolis could be the same. He will start off 5th on the CB depth chart with little chance of seeing much playing time outside of special teams. Again, this pick would have been better used on a DT.

Sleeper Pick(s) : HB Charlie Harris

It might be a stretch to say that a 3rd round pick is really a sleeper, but the Colts expect big things out of the Cal running back. Scouts and team execs were all over the place on Harris, with one scout comparing him to Jamaal Charles and another worrying that he could be a system product. While Harris didn't crack 1000 rushing yards in the Bear Raid offense, his elite speed and soft hands helped him finish 4th on the team in receiving yards (553) and receptions (50). Ultimately the Colts are looking for more versatility out of the backfield, and Harris should give them exactly that.

Draft Grade : B

While the Colts managed to get some good players, they really whiffed on filling team needs. They failed to draft a TE or a DT, which means they are going to be looking for someone off the scrap heap during camp. They also needed to add OL depth, which they didn't do, but they did add some depth at secondary. After a massive wave of free agent signings this team won't have any glaring openings, so trading back so many times makes sense for the future. Charlie Harris could be a real steal and break the cycle of signing guys to short deals to fill out the HB depth chart. Ultimately this class is more about setting up the 2018 draft.