Indianapolis Colts Draft Countdown: Making the Case for Eddie Goldman

With the NFL draft just one week away, preparations for the pivotal day have begun to reach a fever pitch.

While the constant analysis—and often overanalysis—of top prospects can be frustrating, it sure beats talking about the schedule release and suspensions.

As we get closer to the 2015 draft, one of the things we've done consistently is break down the top first-round targets for the Indianapolis Colts. In the last two weeks we've looked at inside linebacker Eric Kendricks and cornerback Marcus Peters, but today we get into the heart of the defense: the defensive line.

There are seven players in my first tier for Indianapolis that have a reasonable chance of being available at No. 29, with three of them being interior defensive linemen. The Colts' woes on the defensive line are well-known, and nobody would be surprised with the first pick going that way come April 30.

Of the three defensive linemen in my first tier, I chose the one most likely to be available: Florida State's Eddie Goldman. (Malcom Brown or Arik Armstead dropping isn't completely unlikely, but I'd be giddy if it happened.) Why do I like Goldman so much, and why is he in my top tier? Let's break it down.

The Need: Searching for Cornerstones

Let's start by talking about the defense as a whole, which was decent in 2014 but faltered in big moments against top offenses. Whether it was New England, Pittsburgh or Dallas, the Colts defense was rendered useless far too many times last season.

To make matters worse, the Colts had the league's oldest defensive roster last year when weighted for snaps, according to Football Outsider's Scott Kacsmar. With an average age of over 28 years old, there is little chance that the Colts defense gets betting in 2015 simply because of development.

No, the team needs to build on young, defensive playmakers from the draft, and Goldman fits that bill.

Then there's the topic of specific positional needs. Defensive line is a really odd spot because the Colts did a lot to keep their second-tier players close to the vest. Make no mistake, the Colts need defensive linemen, and they need a specific type of defensive lineman.

For one, the team doesn't need depth. The Colts have watched defensive linemen and prepared for this conversation for weeks now. The Colts simply don't need bodies here, they need a bona fide stud they can build around for years to come. It's all a part of the plan.

Where other teams could still use help finding depth roles, for now, the defensive line depth has already been weighed and measured in Indianapolis. Take these bodies:

• Arthur Jones (starter)
• Kendall Langford (starter)
• Josh Chapman (starter)
• Zach Kerr
• Montori Hughes
• Kelcy Quarles

The team also has Gannon Conway and Earl Okine on the roster, but the above six already take up much of the rotation, leaving little room for more developmental depth. 

No, the Colts are plenty deep on the defensive line. What they don't have is a core defensive lineman to build around long-term. Jones is getting paid $33 million over five years, but he struggled last year and will turn 29 in June.

Basically, the Colts defensive line rotation is full of role players, which is fine—unless you don't have a cornerstone piece to be the foundation.

The Talent: A Dancing Bear?

For any interior defensive lineman, the first question is a simple one: How big are they?

Good nose tackles are hard to find, largely because they need to be big and strong enough to handle double-teams at the point of attack while also being able to flow side to side on outside runs.

Goldman certainly fits the size profile, weighing in at 336 pounds and measuring 6'4" at the NFL Scouting Combine. That size doesn't limit his ability to move up and down the line either; Goldman ran an unofficial 5.12-second 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. Goldman's 7.62 seconds in the three-cone drill was also impressive for his size.

What's most important for a nose tackle is where Goldman excels: the point of attack. Goldman's weight is distributed evenly on his tall frame, and he has plenty of power in his legs to dig in against single- and double-teams. He's best in a two-gap role, maintaining his position against single- and double-teams alike and utilizing excellent hand usage to shed blockers at the right time.

Goldman won't be a player who ends up in the backfield often, but he's still an active playmaker as a two-gapping tackle. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com says it best:

"

Violent hands that jar offensive linemen and force them into defensive posture. Able to shed blockers with hands or with clubbing arms and spring into ball carrier. Can two-gap at the point of attack and plays square throughout, leveraging gap when offenses try to block him on an angle. ... His power at the point of attack and ability to discard blockers and actually make plays rather than just eating space will have 3-4 teams very excited about their potential nose guard of the future.

"

The other bright spot is that Goldman has just 14 starts under his belt as a defensive tackle, an indication that he has plenty of room to grow. There is always some projection with NFL draft picks, hence the tricky nature of drafting, but Goldman is one that projects very positively into the future.

As CBS Sports' Rob Rang notes, Goldman was a rotational defensive end to start his career at Florida State, but he moved inside to defensive tackle in 2014 and his impact was noticed. Though still working on the "finer details of the position," Goldman's progression is very intriguing.

"

Though the junior again didn't post the kind of statistics (35 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks in 13 regular-season starts) to attract a lot of hype, his steady development, proven versatility and NFL-ready frame make him one of the most intriguing defensive tackle prospects in the country.

"

Unlike some other top defensive prospects, Goldman's injury history is fairly clean as well. He did injure his ankle in 2014, but it was a minor issue and he didn't miss any games.

Goldman may provide limited pass rush in the NFL—though his coach happens to back him up in that area—and he's limited in his explosive, penetrating ability, but if you're looking for a base nose tackle to build around, Goldman provides as good a value as you will find late in the first round.

The Value: Worth It?

So the question is whether that value is worth a first-round pick? If Goldman likely won't be a strong pass-rusher, especially early in his career, is it worth spending a coveted first-round pick on him?

I would normally be a big proponent of pass rush, and anything related to stopping the pass, but in this case, I think the concerns are a bit overblown. For one, I believe in Goldman's ability to push the pocket as a bull-rusher, something that the Colts lacked on the interior last year. And while he won't ever be an elite pass-rusher, Goldman isn't useless in that regard (just inconsistent).

The other factor is that finding a 3-4 nose tackle is hard. It might be the most difficult defensive position to adequately fill, and it's worth spending a first-round pick on if you think you've found that player. Players with that kind of size and power to command double-teams and regularly make plays don't grow on trees. Josh Chapman is a decent nose tackle from a run-defense standpoint, but he's certainly upgradeable.

Goldman would be an upgrade, especially as a long-term project. He's a quick, fluid athlete with an understanding of how to use his powerful hands to his advantage. Oh, and he's 6'4", 336 pounds.

For a team that has consistently allowed the New England Patriots to run wild up the middle of the field over the last two years, that's something that will be welcomed with open arms.