It is hard to argue with Indianapolis Colts' Bill Polian, this guy is a draft guru if there ever was one, and his 2010 class looks like another home run. All this guy does is go out and get guys who fit his football team, and it is a pleasure to watch him conduct the draft each year.
With the 31st pick in the first round he gets lucky and selects DE Jerry Hughes. I cannot believe Hughes fell to them here, but he is a Dwight Freeney clone and will see a lot of action from the start with the Colts.
In the second round Polian finds LB Pat Angerer who might as well be the poster boy for the mold of Colts Linebackers. He is a great all around player and he has above average instincts at this position. This is probably my favorite Colts draft pick this year.
With the 94th pick in the third round the Colts went after CB Kevin Thomas. The Colts only had four CB’s on their roster and given that they play a number of defensive sets in Nickel and Dime coverage picking up another CB was a definite need. He has the right skill set to fit in well in the Colts zone system.
Jacques McClendon is a developmental pick, and the Colts wanted to find a guy that they can groom for a bigger role in the future. For now he is a suburb OG, and adds depth to the interior of the Colts O line.
In the fifth round the Colts take the best blocking TE in this entire draft in Brody Eldridge. He will be an excellent compliment to Dallas Clark, and gives the Colts running game a big upgrade.
With three picks in the seventh round the Colts picked DT Ricardo Matthews, LB Kavell Conner, and DB Ray Fisher. Matthews will be a backup and a development project to be another big time run stopper in the middle of their defense. Conner is an undersized LB prospect, but the Colts have done well with these kinds of players in the past. It looks like Fisher will step in and be a kick returner this year. The Colts lacked some explosiveness last year, and they hope Fisher is the answer there.
Now a more complete look at the 2010 Colts draft class:
Round One (31)- DE Jerry Hughes TCU
Round Two (63)- LB Pat Angerer Iowa
Round Three (94)- CB Kevin Thomas USC
Round Four (129)- OG Jacques McClendon Tennessee
Round Five (162)- TE Brody Eldridge Oklahoma
Round Seven (238)- DT Ricardo Matthews Cincinnati
Round Seven (240)- LB Kavell Conner Clemson
Round Seven (246)- DB Ray Fisher Indiana
Related Links:
• Indianapolis Colts news and notes
• 2010 NFL Draft initial team grades
• The Business of the NFL
• MTR Football.com
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