DougDew

Tip Reimann. Maybe a 4th or 5th though. 6'5 272. Good RAS. Blocker.

I thought all of the options were good options, even a RT. Would have been disappointed if we picked DeJean at 15. Yes, I like the pick because it sets us up with long term solutions at the three most important positions on an NFL team, QB, LT, and EDGE, so things fell right for us. And we have Paye for the other side. As far as Latu specifically, I am concerned about his bend. From the tape, he seems to run around the OTs sort of straight up instead of ducking around them. But I may not be seeing it right. But yes, I like the pick.

EDGE was always the clear 1st need, IMO. Ebukam is only a stop gap. There is a bigger pure vacancy at FS, if you assume Cross is a SS, but That position can be more easily filled. And this Latu pick has long term implications.

Dayo was like 6'5 and 280 coming out of college. He's actually built like a 3T, and plays inside a lot. Paye works fine as an LDE. A bit disappointing for pick 21, but that's water under the bridge at this point.

IDK, it was the first I heard of him being medically flagged by some.

Paye is a good LDE and Dayo is a swing DE/DT. They are fine and should try to be extended at a reasonable price when the time is right, IMO.

Ah, this is where everybody went. I'll repeat some things from the draft thread. For the first time in 7 years, the Colts seem to have their long term QB, LT, and EDGE players in place, the three most important positions in the NFL. That's the way to build an NFL team, IMO. Read on WalterFootball that DALLAS TURNER was flagged by some teams for medicals, so that's why he fell. It didn't elaborate. I hope Latu has the natural bend that's needed to be a premier EDGE. Technique and tenacity is great, but bend makes guys elite, IMO.

He's been looking that way all night. For some people, when they are nervous, they kind of just shut down.

Mitchell was the player I figured Philly wanted. I was hoping they would trade up with us to get him, but that didn't happen. Probably was a good thing we stayed put.

BTW, I just read on Walter Football that some teams flagged DALLAS TURNER for medical reasons, and that's why he fell. It didn't elaborate

Which is why we are a few seasons behind them. They had their LT for a while, and got immediate results from picks 2 and 3...QB and EDGE. That's hard for any team to keep pace with.

By far, the best post of this thread so far. Congratulations. For the first time in 7 years, we appear to have the top three most important positions secured......and under rookie contracts. That's the way you build an NFL team.

Wow, an EDGE at 15 after last year's QB at 4. It seems that the Colts are starting to understand positional value. Good pick. I hope Latu has enough bend to turn the corner at the NFL level. Technique isn't everything.

You mean the GM is the one who sets the board and receives input from the HC? And here I thought HCs pounded their fists for players until the GM succumbs.

Now that the world has been focused on the NFL draft over the past few hours, they just now figured out that the Colts might be interested in WR, and MHJs father played for the Colts 15 years ago.

I modified the list to cut it down to what I think are the best players. This is a good list of players, IMO.

If you are relying upon history, does accuracy matter? I think the reason Smith ended up at RT is because the coaches tried him there out of necessity and he played well, and stayed there due to the coaches wishes. I don't think that FO guys had much to say about it, because Smith was in fact drafted to be a G, not the RT. Ballard's own words after day 2 of that draft was that they drafted Smith a bit higher than they had him ranked, because he was the "last remaining starting caliber G on the board". So it does fit that Smith was not drafted by Ballard or the FO to be a RT...in part because of the measurables and arm length. Also directing this response to @Matthew Gilbert

Well, the reason the issue is germain to me is because the FS position presently on the Colts has an impact on the draft. DeJean or even coverage LBers like Cooper may be taken based upon the options afforded us at FS. My interest does not lie in some perpetual Ballard grievance or defense discussion. What would you trade DAL to obtain a FS that earned a 77.3 PFF ranking in 2023? Keeping in mind that that FS was ranked poorly in terms of tackles, picks, and targets. Which infers that he was asked to play Cover 3 goal keeper and played it well, limiting his targets which basically means limiting his picks and tackles. Which is basically what he played as a rookie prior to having a knee and other injuries years ago. What is the value of that player on our defense, where the deep safety was a problem last year? He has a mid-level vet contract to go with that 77.3 ranking....which means DAL probably thinks there are limits to his game that has nothing to do with speed enough to play the deep FS role. Would you give a 4th rounder for that type of play and the contract he's earned? I think I would. I would probably prefer trading for Malik Hooker with a 4th round pick than to use more cap space to sign a simmons or diggs, or use a high drat pick to pick a prospect like DeJean. Provided that we don't ask Hooker to play a role that's different than the deep FS role that he's played since entering the NFL. He could work well in this defense, but his lack of appearance in any other aspect of the game would mean we would need to improve the underneath coverage of the LBers and SS, and perhaps Kenny has to at least maintain his play. So Cooper in the 2nd, and a 4th for Hooker? And work on the SS coverage best we can? Lessening the need for a DB at 15?

Save it for never. Its not about history. Its about some saying presently that a 5 game rookie had a near all pro career derailed by a knee injury. Nobody knows what any rookie's career would have been after 5 games (see AR today). To say that a player's ceiling, measured by how he plays today in totality, has been determined by injuries suffered years ago and not by what is his natural and entire suite of football skills are seems biased. Since its Hooker, I wonder why.

So that's the dilemma. If you draft Bowers, what do you do with Granson this year? He's set to count $3M against the cap, and I believe this is his contract year, so I don't think a trade could happen, unless its for a 6th rounder or something.

I think that Bowers and Mallory as the Move TEs, and Woods with Ogletree as the Inline TEs, would improve the TE room dramatically from the Granson/Mallory....MAC/Woods/Ogletree room we have now. Probably have to put Mallory on the PS and have Granson on the roster this season though.

I'll jump in too. Do you think that MAC, Ogletree, or Woods are good enough blockers? I know that has nothing to do with Bowers, which is probably the reason for the TE discussion, but to me it seems like we might have three TEs assigned to block often whom aren't really all that good at it. JMO. But I know that Ogle and Woods are young.

Herbert's dead cap hit would roll off before Harbaugh lost his grace period with the fans. It would simply be considered part of the rebuilding years from a team that had the 5th overall draft pick, IMO. The dead cap hit, from a fanbase perspective, is a nonissue, IMO.

Argue about Grigson? No, unlike you, I never did. If you keep misrepresenting my intent, then I may have to keep correcting you. The "it" you seem to be referring to is something I let go before you even raised it. In this 2024 draft, I'm interested if you (or anybody) think's Ballard's past history of improving the oline when his franchise QBs major injuries were not caused by oline protection issues...aka, he just wants a better oline for a Qb who was injured... supports a plausible theory that he could trade down from 15 to select an OT?

I'm confused as to why what Grigson couldn't figure out has to do with how Ballard might feel about providing AR oline help with a trade down from 15. Its not like Ballard hasn't drafted olinemen before when the major injuries to his starting QB were not caused by protection issues. But have a nice day and enjoy the draft.