Mel Kiper's 1st Rd Pick for Colts

[Archer]

Way to think outside the box, Mel!  I'm about to bag the predecting until we see what Grigson picks up in FA.  If we bag Phil Loadholt in FA, we ain't takin' no OT! 

[Jay Kirk]

Kids like this,  and Ansah at BYU,  are the kind where scouts really earn their money.

 

Great physical talent.   Literally just learning the game.    But not much experience,  so they're learning on the job.....

 

It's the type of pick that make scouts/gm's/coaches very nervous.    This can turn into Boom or Bust or anywhere in between.   Very unpredictable.

 

We'll need to do lots and lots and lots of homework on guys like this.    Lots.

 

But, if he pans out,  that'd be sweet........

Most cases i might be inclined to think the same,with the attributes this kid has,only playing 2 years,starting at a prominent program,the boxing and soccer back ground,the kids smarts.IMO its a no brainer

[Jay Kirk]

Way to think outside the box, Mel!  I'm about to bag the predecting until we see what Grigson picks up in FA.  If we bag Phil Loadholt in FA, we ain't takin' no OT! 

dont bet on it

[NewColtsFan]

Remember please....

 

This is Mel's pick in January....   it's his 1.0 version of the draft...

 

Both he and McShay will probably put out a new version every 2-3 weeks.    They'll have close to 10 different versions by the time the draft arrives.

 

Don't get too married to this pick, or any pick for that matter.   At least,  not in January.   It's way, way too early to believe any prediction made now is going to hold up....

[Jay Kirk]

Remember please....

 

This is Mel's pick in January....   it's his 1.0 version of the draft...

 

Both he and McShay will probably put out a new version every 2-3 weeks.    They'll have close to 10 different versions by the time the draft arrives.

 

Don't get too married to this pick, or any pick for that matter.   At least,  not in January.   It's way, way too early to believe any prediction made now is going to hold up....

Lol i never base anything on Mel Kipper

[NewColtsFan]

Lol i never base anything on Mel Kipper

 

That's fine.    Your choice.

 

But the general rule applies to anyone doing a mock draft in January.     The point is they'll change often before the draft arrives in late April.    So, don't get too worked up about any pick, whether you like it or hate it...   because odds are,  it'll change often by the time draft rolls around...

 

That's all...

[GrizzColt]

By the time the draft rolls around, 95% of all mockers will have the 1st round guys pretty much set in stone, we just won't know which team picks them.  The 5% will be teams grabbing QB's out of desperation or like the 49ers grabbing an early 2nd rounder in the late 1st.    But now that Mel has introduced Watson to the 1st round, unless he has a bad combine (which he won't cause he's a great athlete) he will stay in the 1st round or probably move up.  That's what i'm predicting.

[JWF]

Watson is a freak athletically for sure. He is really raw but has a very high upside.

I think the 1st might be high to take him though.

[trailertrash]

Watson is a freak athletically for sure. He is really raw but has a very high upside.

I think the 1st might be high to take him though.

Played quite well this year. One of the best OL, if not the best OL on FSU. 

[Manning1887]

There is no way Watson is a first round pick. From what I have read elsewhere he is a 3rd or 4th round pick.

 

He is 25 years old and is raw. We do not need to draft a project in the 1st round.

 

There are too many good players on defense that will be available at #24 to reach on a OT. I would rather have Xavier Rhodes, CB from Florida State than Watson.

 

My fervant hope is that some QB falls and we can trade back into the early 2nd round and pick up maybe an extra 2nd round pick in 2014.

[JWF]

Played quite well this year. One of the best OL, if not the best OL on FSU. 

He did. Youre right too..FSU did have one of the best O-lines and maybe the best outside of Alabama. I do like Watson alot (im a big Noles fan) but I still think he's a 2nd-3rd just due to his inexperience.

[trailertrash]

There is no way Watson is a first round pick. From what I have read elsewhere he is a 3rd or 4th round pick.

 

He is 25 years old and is raw. We do not need to draft a project in the 1st round.

 

There are too many good players on defense that will be available at #24 to reach on a OT. I would rather have Xavier Rhodes, CB from Florida State than Watson.

 

My fervant hope is that some QB falls and we can trade back into the early 2nd round and pick up maybe an extra 2nd round pick in 2014.

After the combine and the interviews, he will be flying up (late 1st to mid 2nd round at least. I agree that he may be a project, but he has the work ethic, the attitude and the perserverance required to become a pro-bowl caliber Tackle. Combine that with his unreal physical stats, and you get a kid who might not be at Luke Joeckel/Jake Matthews level just yet, but has the potential to be twice the tackles that are. And the best way to realize potential is by working hard, something this guy knows a thing or two about...

[jwilli69]

Wasn't Ugho thought to be the athletic boom or bust project with work ethic concerns? Unfortunately, this team can't afford to take a project because he can't just sit back and learn to protect Luck, he needs to be able to protect Luck out of the gate, there is nobody for him to sit behind and learn from. If we were able to trade back into the top of the second and get a high 3rd or a late 2nd and the. Grab him, I would be opposed. Rhodes wouldn't be a bad pick up at the end of the first unless we don't get our FA oline RT/G resolved. FA will show a bit of what we will do cause I would assume we will hit early and hard when FA opens so really no need in guessing who we get in the draft. Always busts that were supposed to be booms and vise versa.

[Boilerjd16]

Wasn't Ugho thought to be the athletic boom or bust project with work ethic concerns? Unfortunately, this team can't afford to take a project because he can't just sit back and learn to protect Luck, he needs to be able to protect Luck out of the gate, there is nobody for him to sit behind and learn from. If we were able to trade back into the top of the second and get a high 3rd or a late 2nd and the. Grab him, I would be opposed. Rhodes wouldn't be a bad pick up at the end of the first unless we don't get our FA oline RT/G resolved. FA will show a bit of what we will do cause I would assume we will hit early and hard when FA opens so really no need in guessing who we get in the draft. Always busts that were supposed to be booms and vise versa.

 

 

I would agree that picking this guy at 24 at this point would be a big gamble but also their is going to be a lot of evaluation between now and April.  If he was evaluated as at least a 2nd Round Pick when he filed his entry papers for the draft then who is to say how good he is when the Colts and every other talent evaluator get a look at him at the Combine/Pro Day/Indiviual workouts.

 

Here is the story about his initial evaluation by the league office.  It is a ESPN insider story

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State offensive lineman Menelik Watson began the season having played just eight games of organized football in his life. He ended it as perhaps the team's top lineman, and he plans to announce his intention to enter the NFL draft, according to two sources close to the player.

Watson, a native of England, started 12 games at right tackle for Florida State this season, his first after transferring from Saddleback College in California. He was an integral part in a revamped offensive line for FSU, which allowed 14 fewer sacks than it had the previous season and nearly doubled its rushing yardage.

Watson came to the United States on a basketball scholarship to Marist and played for two years before deciding to give football a try. After just eight games at Saddleback, he was widely recruited by dozens of top schools.

At 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, Watson's combination of size and athleticism allowed for a quick transition to football, and by mid-August, he'd secured the starting job at right tackle for FSU. Only a few nagging injuries slowed him this season, but they also proved his value. In the 10 quarters he missed due to injury, FSU allowed 10 sacks. In the other 11.5 games he played, the Seminoles gave up just 16.

Watson reportedly submitted paperwork to NFL evaluators who suggested he would likely be a second-round selection.

 

 

 

I do think that this at this point has to be considered for our pick at 24 because at this point we don't know who the Colts are going to acquire in the early FA period.

[Boilerjd16]

Oh also I found that he is 24 not 25.  He will play most of his rookie season at 24.  Also you have to remember this guy does not have the wear and tear on his body from being and OL since he was in Middle School or Pop Warner.  So if is a great one he could be great until he is 34 or 35.  Didn't we have a pretty good LT by the name of Glenn who played about the same amount of time.

[Carlos Danger]

I'd only look at this guy if we don't grab an OT in FA... if we grab Beatty, Loadholt, or Vollmer, (not to mention Bushrod, Cherilus, or Albert) we can resign Justice for depth and wipe tackles off of our draft board..

[Gavin]

I'd pass, for all we know he could be a one hit wonder and even if he is not he is still a development RT, no way would I draft a developing player with my first pick

[LoganMcCune]

I think we go C and get Travis Frederick. Great size for a center and comes from a program notorious for producing great offense lineman in Wisconsin. Satele to me is decent at best and AQ is a solid backup. It would be someone young that Andrew Luck could build chemistry with

 

Thoughts? 

[BOTT]

I think we go C and get Travis Frederick. Great size for a center and comes from a program notorious for producing great offense lineman in Wisconsin. Satele to me is decent at best and AQ is a solid backup. It would be someone young that Andrew Luck could build chemistry with

 

Thoughts? 

Not in the first

[Gavin]

Not in the first

I wouldn't either at this point but the Combine could change my mind, Frederick would fit this scheme great and we could always go OLB in the 3rd and get a potentially great one (Brandon Jenkins, Chase Thomas)

[trailertrash]

I'd pass, for all we know he could be a one hit wonder and even if he is not he is still a development RT, no way would I draft a developing player with my first pick

If a guy whose never played football ever in his life managed to get a starting job at a top football school in the country and PROVED his worth to them, what is to say that he won't be able to transition as well as say, Luke Joeckel? gotta remember that the draft is and always has been a crapshoot? What you look for in prospects is work ethic, talent, perseverance and body of work. He has everything except body of work, which is due to the lack of experience. But it is compensated for by his work ethic, talent and his perseverance. 

[trailertrash]

I wouldn't either at this point but the Combine could change my mind, Frederick would fit this scheme great and we could always go OLB in the 3rd and get a potentially great one (Brandon Jenkins, Chase Thomas)

Honestly doubt either Jenkins or Thomas remain until the bottom of the 3rd. We're gonna have to trade down from the first/trade up in the 3rd to get an O-lineman AND a great OLB. 

[Gavin]

If a guy whose never played football ever in his life managed to get a starting job at a top football school in the country and PROVED his worth to them, what is to say that he won't be able to transition as well as say, Luke Joeckel? gotta remember that the draft is and always has been a crapshoot? What you look for in prospects is work ethic, talent, perseverance and body of work. He has everything except body of work, which is due to the lack of experience. But it is compensated for by his work ethic, talent and his perseverance. 

Still safer to go with a proven player with our first pick, Hey I am not saying he is certainly not worth a first round pick, heck up till a couple days ago I never heard of the guy, He looks really good no doubt, I have seen him play a couple games. and he may be as great as Kiper says but the body of work is not there for me to take that risk, plus he will be 25 half way through his first season in the NFL, I'd rather get Ricky Wagner in the 3rd if we go RT, either way I want to come away with Wagner or Travis Frederick because I doubt we have a chance at Warmack or Barrett Jones

[trailertrash]

Still safer to go with a proven player with our first pick, Hey I am not saying he is certainly not worth a first round pick, heck up till a couple days ago I never heard of the guy, He looks really good no doubt, I have seen him play a couple games. and he may be as great as Kiper says but the body of work is not there for me to take that risk, plus he will be 25 half way through his first season in the NFL, I'd rather get Ricky Wagner in the 3rd if we go RT, either way I want to come away with Wagner or Travis Frederick because I doubt we have a chance at Warmack or Barrett Jones

I hear you. However, the problems that Wagner brings are almost alien to Watson. Wagner has the body of work that Watson lacks, but can't even come close to the work ethic, the athleticism (quickness, speed and strength) and the talent Watson possesses. One of the biggest knocks on Wagner is his pass blocking (or the lack thereof). He's the typical tackle: can run block very well, but struggles against speed pass rushers. We have one of those. His name is Anthony Castonzo, a player with an outstanding body of work. Body of Work implies he's played at the position for a while. The body of work doesn't reflect the potential and the other intangibles a player brings. You'd have a sound case if Watson was ala Dontari Poe. A combine star, but a terrible player. But Watson's gonna be a combine star and his tape speaks for itself. Again, he may not have the body of work of guys like Fluker or Wagner, but no tackle in a while can touch Watson's intangibles (his athleticism, his talent AND his work ethic).

[Freenyfan102]

This guy has tony ugoh written all over him

[Gavin]

I hear you. However, the problems that Wagner brings are almost alien to Watson. Wagner has the body of work that Watson lacks, but can't even come close to the work ethic, the athleticism (quickness, speed and strength) and the talent Watson possesses. One of the biggest knocks on Wagner is his pass blocking (or the lack thereof). He's the typical tackle: can run block very well, but struggles against speed pass rushers. We have one of those. His name is Anthony Castonzo, a player with an outstanding body of work. Body of Work implies he's played at the position for a while. The body of work doesn't reflect the potential and the other intangibles a player brings. You'd have a sound case if Watson was ala Dontari Poe. A combine star, but a terrible player. But Watson's gonna be a combine star and his tape speaks for itself. Again, he may not have the body of work of guys like Fluker or Wagner, but no tackle in a while can touch Watson's intangibles (his athleticism, his talent AND his work ethic).

we shall see but I wouldn't touch him in the first, Right now CBSSports.com has him a bottom of the 2nd top of the 3rd player and Wagner a 4th round player so who knows, for my money I am not going RT in the draft anyway, Im getting Guard Travis Frederick in the 3rd or Brandon Jenkins in the 3rd and Frederick in the 1st

[GoColts8818]

If we go o-line in round one I would prefer it to be a tackle.  We are in bad need of help at the guard spots and I think we need two proven guys who can come in and start right away.  SInce we have Castonzo who is a proven starting left tackle we can spend sometime developing a rookie right tackle who you can hide a little more than your left tackle.  It would also give us a pair of book end tackles taken right before Luck and right after Luck to grow up protecting him.  Add to that a fairly young Center in Shipley and we are probably two guards away from a pretty good line going forward.  If Ijalana can come back and play and be the guy we thought we were getting when we drafted him and he can slide to guard and stay healthy so much the better.  We would then have three very high picks that are all pretty young protecting our QB. 

[iM COLTSSTRONG]

ever since kiper mocked watson for us, it seems like every mock draft people post on here is watson, watson, watson......

 

for starters he is not 1st round talent.

2 we dont have luxury to take a project like watson or ashel(BYU)....We need a player that can come in and start right away....thats why im hoping for Jones or Rhodes or Jordan in the first round. all impact players at the positions i think we need most help at OL,CB, OLB(mathis isnt getting younger).

[Boilerjd16]

ever since kiper mocked watson for us, it seems like every mock draft people post on here is watson, watson, watson......

 

for starters he is not 1st round talent.

2 we dont have luxury to take a project like watson or ashel(BYU)....We need a player that can come in and start right away....thats why im hoping for Jones or Rhodes or Jordan in the first round. all impact players at the positions i think we need most help at OL,CB, OLB(mathis isnt getting younger).

 

 

First you need to realize that D Jordan will go in the top 15 because of his scheme versatility (OLB 3-4, DE 4-3) and his freak atheltic skills.  Jones probably goes somewhere between 15-22 because there are many teams in that range that need OL help just like us.  Also Jones is a  very versatile lineman. (I am sure you realize that not trying to be a dick).  That leaves Rhodes I agree that he would be one hell of a secondary player corner or safety.  I just think that there are some guys in Free agency that we are going to go after that will some what negate the need for Rhodes.  Such as D Goldson (SF), M Jenkins (Dallas), A Cason(SD), and maybe even B Grimes from (ATL).

 

I understand that it would be a big stretch for Watson in RND 1 now but I don't think that it will be after the combine.  I know that is a bunch of guys running around in shorts.  But there is a reason a guy goes from playing basketball at Marist to JC to FSU, and starting a highly ranked team, in the span of about 2 years.  Also I have seen many FSU people say that he was their best OL this season on a team that increased its rushing yards considerably from the previous season and also protected their passers much better when he was in the game versus when he was out with injury.

[loudnproudcolt]

It still states that he is raw and has to be coached up. So, essentially, he is a project that you have to take a bit of a chance on and not a 4 yr. starter, or even a 3 yr. starter. In a draft where we have picks 1, 3, and 4 and not a 2nd, a project is not what I would want to invest a 1st rounder on, personally.

 

If he is around for the 2nd round pick and we had one, I would not have minded it but not for a first round pick. Sorry, it will not fly with me as a GM, especially if I have to shell out a 5 yr. contract probably worth millions to him.

 

One of Jonathan Cooper, Alex Okafor, D.J.Fluker is likely to be available then and I would prefer to get one of them.

Agree Fluker would be great, and if he is not available then Barrett Jones. I do believe he will be available at our spot.

[PrincetonTiger]

As Archer said it will depend on where the FA money is spent