Indianapolis Colts
First-year Colts general manager Chris Ballard absolutely aced his initial draft in that capacity. He made sure to address immediate needs out of the gate, acquiring value in the process.
It started with former Ohio State safety Malik Hooker dropping all the way to the 15th pick in the first round. Hooker’s range in center field has drawn comparisons to what Earl Thomas brings for the Legion of Boom in Seattle. And really, that’s not hyperbole.
A player of Hooker’s ilk makes his defense that much better across the board. His range enables corners to worry solely about their side of the field. That will surely help out Vontae Davis after the two-time Pro Bowler struggled to an extent this past season.
The comparison here has to be how Thomas makes up for some of the shortcomings Richard Sherman brings to the table in Seattle, helping Sherman himself look like the best corner in football.
Indy then got a running partner for Davis in the form of former Florida cornerback Quincy Wilson, who will likely be a Day 1 starter. Wilson was actually Bleacher Report Matt Miller’s ninth-ranked overall prospect in the draft. His size and physicality alone should work well in the Colts’ secondary. Add in the fact that Wilson allowed a sub 40 percent completion mark in the SEC last season, and that’s magnified even further.
Indianapolis has been bordering on mediocrity for too long. It’s unfortunate with Andrew Luck supposedly set to hit his prime. But with some solid pieces on offense in Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Frank Gore and Jack Doyle, that really wasn’t the biggest concern last season.
Instead, Ballard set out to fix his team’s issues on defense. When we add in the free-agent pickups of talented defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and EDGE rusher Jabaal Sheard, the Colts really did make sure to address these problems. It should lead to contention in what promises to be a competitive AFC South this season.