Colts GM Chris Ballard said on Friday that he's honed in on eight non-quarterbacks as possibilities for the Colts in the first round of the NFL Draft. It's worth mentioning that doesn't mean that they'll stay where they currently are, the 6th overall pick.
Zak Keefer of the IndyStar, who will join us on the show later today, gave his best guess as to who the eight might be, with three obvious inclusions at the top:
Here's my list:
THE NO-BRAINERS
OG Quenton Nelson: The former Notre Dame star is the top OL in the Draft and considered by some to be the best prospect in the Draft period. Drafting an interior lineman this high may give you some pause, but the Colts have been a disaster at this spot for nearly a decade.
RUSH Bradley Chubb: The best pass rush prospect in a Draft that has barely any candidates, Chubb has always seemingly been the Colts' #1 target. However, it seems increasingly unlikely that he's going to be available at #6, especially if Cleveland keeps their #4 selection and takes a quarterback #1.
RB Saquon Barkley: Barkley is a polarizing running back, and it appears some have soured on him since his monster Combined performance, which I find to be odd. I'm not a use-an-elite-pick-on-a-RB guy, but it's hard to not be enamored with what his ceiling could be.
OTHER POSSIBILITIES
Georgia LB Roquan Smith: Smith is the top LB prospect in the Draft and was the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. Is he worth the #6 selection, though? (That's the same question for most of this list below)
Virginia Tech LB Tremaine Edmunds: He’s only 19 (!) and has drawn comparisons to Brian Urlacher, but the Colts need someone who can come in an play immediately at that spot.
Ohio State CB Denzel Ward: Ward is the #1 cornerback in the Draft and the Colts really only have Pierre Dessir as a proven option at that spot. This probably depends on how they currently feel about Quincy Wilson.
Outside of those six, it's hard to identify who else could be among Ballard's eight. Alabama's Minkah Fitzpatrick and Florida State's Derwin James have been linked to the Colts, but I'm really not sure secondary help is at the top of Ballard's priority list. Keefer points out Mike McGlinchey, also of Notre Dame, but if the Colts stay at #6, most of these other players would be considered reaches.
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