The Colts have picked CB Kevin Thomas out of USC with the 94th overall pick (3rd round) of the NFL Draft.  Thomas is a bit lanky at 6′0″, 189 pounds and he isn’t the fastest corner around running in the 4.55 40 area.  Thomas played in 13 games (all starts) for USC last season and he had 56 tackles, 1 sack and he forced 2 fumbles.  In his 4 years at USC, Thomas played in 39 games (17 starts) in which he had 88 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and he had 3 interceptions (one returned for a TD).  Thomas missed all of 2007 with a shoulder injury.  He is not the most durable player around but if he can stay healthy he will help the Colts on special teams and as a nickel back this season with the potential for much more down the road.

The Colts have picked inside linebacker Pat Angerer out of Iowa with the 63rd overall pick (2nd round) of the NFL Draft.  Angerer is the classic run plugging linebacker but he needs to be protected by the D-Line as he is only 5′11″, 233 pounds.  He is pretty fast (4.54 40) for a linebacker so he can make plays sideline to sideline as long as O-Linemen don’t get into him.  Angerer played in 13 games (all starts) for Iowa last season and he had 145 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, he broke up 5 passes and he had 1 interception.  He played in 43 games (24 starts) in his career at Iowa and he finished up with 258 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, he broke up 8 passes and he had 6 interceptions.  The Colts probably took him a round or two too early but he will help them in 2010 and beyond.

The Colts selected DE Jerry Hughes in the first round of the NFL Draft with the 31st pick.  Hughes is a tweener and the Colts probably think of him as more of a OLB than a DE.  Hughes played in 13 games (all starts) for TCU last season in which he had 58 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, batted down 3 passes, forced 2 fumbles and he recovered 1 fumble.  Hughes does have issues on run defense which will need to be fixed or he will have to stay at DE behind Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney.  Hughes played in 49 games (27 starts) in his four years at TCU and he made 127 tackles, 40.5 tackles for a loss, he had 28.5 sacks, batted down 4 passes, forced 8 fumbles and he had 1 fumble recovery.  The Colts drafted the best player available and it was Hughes so I like the pick for them.

The Colts have some needs going into the NFL Draft as they have not done much this off-season due to the rules of a uncapped NFL season.  The Colts have needs at OT, OG, DT, WR and OLB.  The Colts have 3 of the top 94 picks in the NFL Draft and they have 8 picks overall.  They generally stand pat and pick the best player available.  I have a feeling that they are targeting OTs Vladimir Ducasse & Bruce Campbell as well as OLB Sean Weatherspoon in the first round.

PROJECTED FIRST ROUND PICK:  OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri 

The Colts got four key performers who they will be counting on in the Super Bowl this Sunday in last April’s Draft.  RB Donald Brown was the 27th overall pick in the first round out of the draft out of Connecticut.  He played in 11 games for the Colts this year and he carried the ball 78 times for 281 yards (3.6 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  Brown also caught 11 passes for 169 yards (15.4 avg) and he returned 1 kickoff for 21 yards.  He will likely put pressure on Joseph Addai next season.  DT Fili Moala out of USC was the Colts’ 2nd round pick (#56 overall).  He played in 10 games and he made 7 whole tackles last season.  CB Jerraud Powers (3rd round, #92 overall) out of Auburn will be a key player in the Super Bowl this Sunday.  He played in 12 games for the Colts this season and he has made 66 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, forced 1 fumble, defensed 10 passes and he has 1 interception.  WR Austin Collie was a steal in the 4th round (#127 overall) out of BYU.  He played in all 16 games for the Colts this year and he caught 60 passes for 676 yards (11.3 avg) with 7 TD grabs.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 1 yard (0.5 ypc) and he returned 1 kickoff for 8 yards.  QB Curtis Painter was selected in the 6th round (#201 overall) out of Purdue.  He played in 2 games for the Colts this season and he completed 8 of 28 passes (28.6%) for 83 yards with 0 TD passes and 2 INTs (9.8 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 3 times for 4 yards (1.3 ypc) this year.  The Colts better pray to the big man above that nothing happens to Peyton Manning on Sunday.  Punter Pat McAfee was selected in the 7th round (#222 overall) out of West Virginia.  He played in all 16 games for the Colts last season and he punted the ball 64 times for 2,837 yards (44.3 avg).  He also had 6 touchbacks (9.4%) and he placed the opposing team inside their own 20-yard line 21 times this year (32.8%).  NT Terrance Taylor (4th round, #136 overall) out of Michigan and OG Jaimie Thomas (7th round, #236 overall) out of Maryland just weren’t good enough to play for the Colts as they didn’t make the team.

GRADE FOR 2009:  B+

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  A