Anthony Gonzalez Helps Indianapolis Colts Reload

Being the last pick of the first round usually leads to a rookie season spent watching a good team play.

But Anthony Gonzalez lucked out: he not only joined a perennially successful franchise but also actually got on the field with regularity, catching passes from Peyton Manning, no less.

Drafted as a potential eventual replacement for the team's current star wideouts, Gonzalez ended up complementing them, growing fairly fast into a valuable role for a team renowned for its air power.

Instead of treating this past year like a daunting apprenticeship, Gonzalez emerged looking like a pro, collecting 37 receptions for 576 yards in 2007 while only playing 13 games. That works out to an impressive average of 15.6 yards per catch, a testament to the rookie's speed and ability to threaten the field's deep areas.

Throw in a fair three touchdowns, and the Ohio State alum can be said to have had about as good a first campaign as could be hoped, considering that even breaking into the lineup was an accomplishment. Even if it was thanks to the lead's injury, the understudy did a good job once on stage.

More importantly, he developed and improved from September until the year's end. Understandably held without a catch in the season opener, Gonzalez began making in impact the very next game, catching three passes for 49 yards in the team's two-point win over the Titans.

He managed a seven-reception, 71-yard afternoon versus Tampa in the middle of a stretch where he had one two-catch and three one-catch games along with a not-involved-statistically contest at Jacksonville. His contributions were understandably erratic for about the season's first half, but his performances got better.

Twenty of Gonzalez's catches came in the five games he played after the two he missed on account of injury in mid-November. That includes a pair of six-reception contests, one against Atlanta and the other versus Baltimore; Gonzalez went over 100 yards in each of those. Throw in the seven passes he received in Oakland, and it's clear he got into a comfortable groove as the season progressed.

It's a testament to the depth of the Colts' drafts that they can add a skill player with their first-round pick even with Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison on the roster. Critics could argue that it's easier to join a successful team and be individually proficient, but at the same time it's difficult to elbow one's way on to the field.

Gonzalez was given an opening due to Harrison's lengthy sidelining and made something out of the opportunity. Instead of being jittery, he settled in before too long and did more than just keep a starting spot warm.

Aside from his measurable gains, there were relatively few times when Gonzalez exhibited the kind of play one would expect from a rookie: He didn't look lost or uncomfortable, never fumbled, and found ways to make himself a visible target. That stable presence from such a young player bodes well for the hope that the criminally overpowering Colt offense will perpetrate itself indefinitely.

Whether he's the second or third receiver this season, Gonzalez is going to help even more than he did in his promising first year. He probably won't be able to vault over Kansas City's renowned tight end, but one can be the second-best Anthony Gonzalez-named receiver in the NFL and still have a fulfilling career loaded with promise.