Hakeem Nicks has been one of the most-talked about players when it comes to the Indianapolis Colts and the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Colts’ interest may be more than speculation.

Nicks (6-feet-1, 214 pounds), a wide receiver from the University of North Carolina who many NFL Draft analysts project as a potential first-round selection, has had a pre-draft workout with the Colts, according to Pro Football Talk and Colt Power.

Nicks‘ stock rose dramatically during a productive junior season this past season in which he caught 68 passes for 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns. The word after the NFL Scouting Combine was he had continued to impress and was one of the fastest-rising players in the draft.

It’s what has happened in recent weeks that will be the cause of discussion/speculation among draftniks in the coming weeks.

Nicks during the combine reportedly strained his hamstring coming out of a break while running a route. Afterward, he reportedly gained between 14 pounds and 16 pounds before his March 17 Pro Day in Chapel Hill, N.C. There, Nicks opted to stand on his 40-yard dash time from the combine: 4.49 seconds.

Here’s what the scout told PFT: “He looked like a fat tight end (at the Pro Day), not a lean receiver. . . .  He’s got to have a weight problem.  This is the most important few months of his life and he gains a ton of weight.  I don’t get it.  Many scouts and coaches went away very disappointed.”

The latest in Nicks’ weight saga came Wednesday, again from PFT: that he has dropped 10 of the pounds and after weighing 226 at the Pro Day is now down to 216.

Nicks reportedly has worked out for the Bears and Dolphins, with Bill Parcells reportedly attending the workout for the Dolphins.

Now, for some perspective.

It struck me while inserting hyperlinks for a two-pound difference in weight gain that this is one of those classic “paralysis-by-analysis” scenarios that often occurs leading to the draft. A lot has been made of Nicks’ weight gain, and scouts have been quoted — anonymously, of course — as concerned about it, but there’s a documented reason for the weight gain: in this case, an injury that was widely reported.

Some perspective may be needed here, and a deep breath. The Colts seem interested. He has the size required of an NFL receiver, and if he’s not a burner, his speed is enough to keep him in consideration. We’ll never know the scout, but as is the case with sportswriters, they vary widely between ones who know what they’re doing and ones who don’t. For the Colts, the opinion that matters is obviously Colts President Bill Polian’s.

As with so much about the draft, it’s impossible to tell what this workout means. Could be a predraft smokescreen. Could be legitimate interest, but the Colts have a need at wide receiver and all the predraft buzz aside, he has the collegiate production the Colts like, so at the very least, this is worth watching. And maybe closer than a lot of others.

Note: What do you think? Is Nicks the right pick for the Colts? Email IFR at IFROehser@aol.com or leave a comment.