First-round RB Donald Brown perfect fit for Indianapolis Colts in 2009 NFL Draft

A look at the Indianapolis Colts 2009 NFL Draft focusing on first-round selection Donald Brown of the University of Connecticut . . .

Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian is fond of saying after NFL Drafts that the board pretty much went as expected.

He said it again Saturday night.

And this case, whether or not -- as Polian  said -- the Colts' first-round projections were so accurate that they missed on just two selections before they selected at No. 27, it's hard to argue that the Colts almost certainly selected a player they had targeted entering the draft in University of Connecticut running back Donald Brown.

A few reasons:

1) It's risky to argue with Polian on draft day, particularly after first rounds. In 12 drafts with Indianapolis, he has selected 10 players in the first round. Five of those players have combined to play in 21 Pro Bowls.

2) The Colts in retrospect made a pick that makes good sense on the field, addressing an area that was a weakness in 2009. The Colts finished 31st in the NFL in rushing offense, their lowest finish in that area during the Polian/quarterback Peyton Manning era.

3) They picked a player that fits them perfectly -- not just on the field, but off. Former Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy used to say the best ability is availability, a statement that summed up the team's approach to character. Brown seems to fit that, as evidenced by this story this past week in the New York Times.

Someone here at the Colts' Indianapolis facility just saw me writing and asked if I had been positive or negative in my assessment of the Colts' draft. My response was what it has been in each my past 14 NFL Drafts -- that it's awfully hard to be either when assessing a draft. I typically figure if a team had a plan and stuck to it, they did their job on draft day. The more organized, diligent teams tend to fare the best and the Colts under Polian are off the charts in terms of diligence. As for a judgement, give things a year or four and we can talk.

After listening to Colts Owner and Chief Executive Officer Jim Irsay Saturday night, the reasoning behind the selection came into focus. The Colts, while not down on 2007 Pro Bowl back Joseph Addai, know they must improve a running game that couldn't pick up key yards in the postseason. They're counting on their offensive line to improve with experience and improved health, and they're further accepting that it t requires two big-time running backs to be a productive running team in the NFL.

In Brown, they got college football's leading rusher a year ago, and a guy who was the only 2,000-yard rusher in college football. They also got a player who fits what they do and seems to fit what they're about.

So, if you've got to assess a selection, I'd say this one grades out pretty well.