NFL Draft 2012: 10 Positions Colts Must Address After Drafting Andrew Luck

The first selection the Indianapolis Colts make in the 2012 NFL Draft isn't going to save the franchise. It's the moves after that will.

Think about it.

Is rookie Andrew Luck going to be better than a just-recovered-from-surgery Peyton Manning?

If so, how much better? And will that translate into wins? If so, how many? Enough to make the playoffs? Enough to win the division?

Only time will tell.

So for now, let's focus on 10 needs the Colts should address after they pick Luck.

Kick Returner / Punt Returner

There are a variety of reasons why the Colts dropped from 366 points two years ago to 258 last season.

The simplest is field position.

Whether Peyton Manning or Curtis Painter starts at quarterback, good starting field position can significantly influence the result of a drive.

Backup strong safety Joe Lefeged, who ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, returned kicks. But his 18.6-yard average was nothing to boast.

Although Lefeged’s 31 returns were the 14th-most in the NFL, his 11 returns of 20 yards or more yards ranked only 30^th.

The Colts split punt-return duties among Pierre Garcon, Blair White and Lefeged. 

Together, the trio combined for a paltry average of 3.4 yards on 32 returns, with a long of 21 yards.

No matter who starts at the quarterback position next year, Indianapolis would be be wise to address the field-position battle first.

Running Back

Instability and uncertainty might as well be the themes of the 2011 Colts’ rushing attack.

With three players receiving more than 100 carries, it's evident that Indianapolis lacked a featured tailback.

Donald Brown, Joseph Addai and Delone Carter combined to average 99.6 rushing yards per game—only good for 26^th in the NFL.

Out of their 353 carries, the trio ran for 1,455 yards (4.1 yards per carry), eight touchdowns, and only six plays of 20 or more yards.

Addai finished with a career-low 433 yards rushing and seemed nearly useless as a runner.  At 28 years old, he’s already creeping toward the end of his career, and a resurgence seems unlikely.

Brown has shown promise, but shouldn’t be relied on as a three-down back.

If the Colts are striving for balance on offense, they should turn their attention to this position.

Defensive End

Although the two biggest stars of the Colts defense start at defensive end, it is still a need.

Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney form one of the scariest pass-rushing duos in the NFL.

Aside from getting to the quarterback, they have a unique ability to force fumbles.  With 82 forced fumbles between the two, Mathis and Freeney have ended many opponent's drives.

Their 18 combined sacks is their lowest total since a 2007 season that saw both pass-rushers miss games due to injury.

With both players over the age of 30, it’s time for the Colts to bring in some younger players who can help to generate pressure on the quarterback.

After posting a career-low 19 tackles, Freeney may be asked to restructure his contract in hopes of re-signing Mathis, who is a free agent.

That means there is a slight chance the Colts may be without their top two pass-rushers of the past decade in 2012.

Tight End

When healthy, Dallas Clark is one of the NFL's most reliable and dangerous tight ends. However, he has fallen victim to season-ending injuries in consecutive years.

His two touchdown receptions in 2011 were his fewest since his 2003 rookie campaign.

Whether he can fully recover from a left leg injury remains to be seen.

Clark’s injury left Jacob Tamme, an unrestricted free agent, as the Colts' only healthy tight end.

In extended playing time, Tamme managed to haul in only 19 passes for 177 yards and one touchdown, although 10 of his catches did result in first downs.

With the offensive line still in flux, it would be wise for the Colts to seek a tight end—either of the receiving or blocking type.

Playmaking Cornerback

One way to counter the lack of a pass rush is to play good coverage.

The Colts defense allowed conversions on 98-of-216 third downs last season, a conversion rate of 45.4 percent.

By allowing 227 passing yards per game, the pass defense ranked 15^th in the league.

Six defenders picked off passes last year, but the team combined for only eight interceptions.

The team is in dire need of a defensive game-changer, and a cornerback might make the most sense to fill that void.

With the Philadelphia Eagles shopping Asante Samuel since acquiring Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the Colts might be able to acquire a corner who has 45 career interceptions for as little as a 4th-round pick.

Linebacker

Three of the top four tacklers from last year’s team were linebackers, so it may seem strange that I list this position as a need.

Let me explain why.

Pat Angerer, Kavell Conner and Philip Wheeler combined for 336 tackles, yet this wasn’t the corps that the Colts had envisioned at the start of the season.

Although starting middle linebacker and defensive captain Gary Brackett was lost for the season after the first game, there was still talk of him returning the next week. 

Not only did he fail to return, but he was also put on season-ending injured reserve on September 28.

Brackett will be 32 years old at the start of next season and could mesh well with the emergence of Angerer, or he could flounder.

With the Colts securing the future leader of their offense, they should look to do the same with their defense through the draft.

By simultaneously acquiring captains on opposite sides of the ball, the Colts may be setting themselves up for a huge future advantage.

Defensive Tackle

The reason why Colts linebackers have posted such impressive tackling numbers is because of the team's poor rush defense.

With Mathis and Freeney focused on sacking the quarterback, it’s up to the defensive tackles to contain the run while collapsing the pocket.

Throughout the season, the Colts interchanged six players at the tackle spot. Eric Foster, Antonio Johnson, Ricardo Mathews, Daniel Muir, Fili Moala and Drake Nevis combined for 59 tackles.

It’s not reasonable to expect defensive tackles to sack the quarterback because their primary responsibility is to stop the run. So how well did they do in that regard?

Out of 540 rushing attempts, the tackles stopped 10.9 percent of them. That means there were 481 times that the running back got past the initial line of defense.

No wonder the Colts gave up 4.3 yards per carry and 19 rushing touchdowns. 

No matter how much Luck they can next year, the Colts better improve a run defense that ranked 29th and gave up 143.9 yards per game.

Offensive Line

It’s no surprise to hear about the struggles of the Colts offensive line, especially after a season without Peyton Manning to mask their deficiencies.

It would be insane if the Colts couldn't find a lineman who could start immediately.

Throughout the season, injuries forced the team to shuffle an already mediocre line.

Before a Week 8 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, the Colts had five injured linemen: Joe Reitz, Ryan Diem, Mike Pollak, Anthony Costonzo and Ben Ijalana.

The starting line would feature Jeff Linkenbach and Quinn Ohinnaka at tackle, Mike Tepper and Seth Olsen at guard, and Jeff Saturday at center—with Saturday being the only opening-day starter.

To have 80 percent of your starting offensive line and your quarterback go down before the midway point of the season is impossible to recover from.

After taking a franchise quarterback with their first pick, don’t be surprised to see the Colts invest heavily in the offensive line, especially with Saturday and Diem reportedly ready to retire.

Wide Receiver

If the need for quality receivers in today's NFL is obvious, then the need for quality receivers when developing a young quarterback is downright blatant.

The Colts have three wide receivers headed toward free agency—including two top targets from last year, Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon.

If both Wayne and Garcon played somewhere else next season, the Colts would return a paltry total of 1,088 receiving yards from last year's roster.

The starting duo combined for 145 receptions and 1,907 receiving yards—which was more than 63 percent of the team's receiving total.

While the draft and free agency are loaded with viable replacements, the thought of losing Manning, Wayne, Mathis and Saturday would irk long-time Colts fans.

Quarterback

Yes, even with the selection of Andrew Luck as the No.1 overall pick, believe it or not, the Colts would still have to address their quarterback situation.

In fact, adding Luck would complicate things even more.

I'm not clairvoyant, so I don't know if Manning will remain on the roster come draft time, but he is currently still with the team.

While Manning is set to receive a hefty roster bonus, there is a possibility he could remain on the same roster as Luck.

No one really knows what to make of Manning and his health. One minute, you hear Bill Polian say that he'll "return at a high level." The next, you hear Bob Kravitz say that he has a "noodle arm"—only for him to rescind the statement later.

It's all up in the air at this point, but I don't see how a few years under the tutelage of Manning would harm Luck and his development.