2012 NFL Draft: Andrew Luck Has Toughest Road of Any NFL Prospect

Andrew Luck will enjoy the shortest celebration for any NFL prospect when he finally gets drafted this week. 

The general consensus is the Stanford standout will go No. 1 to the Indianapolis Colts. It's more of a foregone conclusion when you consider reports like the one from The Washington Post that state the Colts have all but told Luck he is their man. 

If it all holds true, Luck will go from the most lauded prospect, to the most popular pick, to a man with the weight of a franchise on his shoulders, and all within the span of a few moments. 

The fact is, the No. 1 overall selection is never an easy title because the team picking is usually the most devoid of talent. 

The Colts are more than just one phenomenal player away from winning, but that is hardly the only reason the initial start in Indy will be a tough one for Luck. 

Peyton Manning

Not only do the Colts need a winner to take snaps, they still have the memory of the last one in their minds. 

You would be hard-pressed to find a better quarterback to ever play the game than Peyton Manning, and he is still playing, making every pass from Andrew Luck a measurable quantity against the Denver star's efforts. 

It's hard enough to get a team back to winning, but Luck will have to do it wearing someone else's shoes. 

No matter the reality, Luck will always be seen as a big reason why Manning was moved out of Indianapolis. 

Colts

NFL Network and CBS Sports analyst Charley Casserly has thoughts on the future of Luck compared to the start by Manning, via USA Today: "When Peyton came in, he had Marvin Harrison, Marshall Faulk, Ken Dilger, Tarik Glenn and Adam Meadows. He started off with a pretty good array of players."

Despite the talent level, Manning would start his career 3-13, but collected rookie throwing records including touchdowns (26) and yards (3,739).

The Colts are once again a new team, with hardly the same level of experienced vets that have marked the last few years in Indy. 

Luck will need to take every loss as a lesson. but more importantly, every fan will have to express a great deal of patience because this will be a long, arduous process for Andrew Luck. 

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