And with the No. 27 selection of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select . . .

First, I want to thank the readers for commenting on the Indy Football Report’s 2009 Readers’ Mock Draft throughout recent days, and especially on Tuesday. The Colts were on the clock at No. 27, and although I expected heated debate, I was overwhelmed by 33 comments before midnight when I finally started writing this post. Thirty-three comments ain’t much on ESPN or CBSSports, probably, but on this humble site, it’s big. Thanks.

Remember, we’ll wrap this thing up with Nos. 28-30 on Thursday and Nos. 31-32 on Friday.

Thanks to the readers participating. And remember if you haven’t participated yet, comments/suggestions are welcome. Just comment below. I’ll take everyone’s thoughts into consideration and post the selection the following morning.

 

We’ve gotten through Nos. 1-26 . . .

No. 1 / Detroit Lions . . . Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia.

No. 2 / St. Louis Rams . . . Jason Smith, OT, Baylor. 

No. 3 / Kansas City Chiefs . . . Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas.

No. 4 / Seattle Seahawks  . . . Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech.

No. 5 / Cleveland Browns . . . Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest.

No. 6 / Cincinnati  . . . Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia.

No. 7 / Oakland  . . . Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri.

No. 8 / Jacksonville . . . Mark Sanchez, QB, Southern California.

No. 9 / Green Bay . . . B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College.

No. 10 / San Francisco . . . Everette Brown, DE, Florida State.

No. 11 / Buffalo  . . . Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State.

No. 12 / Denver  . . . Ray Maualuga, LB, Southern California.

No. 13 / Washington . . . Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss.

No. 14 / New Orleans . . . Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State.

No. 15 / Houston  . . . Brian Cushing, LB, Southern California.

No. 16 / San Diego . . . Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU.

No. 17 / New York Jets . . . Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State.

No. 18 / Denver Broncos . . . Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois. 

No. 19 / Tampa Bay Buccaneers . . . Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss.

No. 20 / Detroit Lions . . . Andre Smith, OT, Alabama.

No. 21 / Philadelphia Eagles . . . Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia.

No. 22 / Minnesota Vikings . . . Eben Britton, OT, Arizona.

No. 23 / New England Patriots . . . Clay Matthews, LB, Southern Cal

No. 24 / Atlanta  . . . Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State. 

No. 25 / Miami . . . Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee.

No. 26 / Baltimore . . . Percy Harvin, WR, Florida.

No. 27 / Indianapolis . . .

The Iowa Hawkeye weighed in with the first serious suggestion, wasn’t sold on defensive tackle Evander “Ziggy” Hood of Missouri, and also didn’t like running back “Beanie” Wells of Ohio State or North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks — at least not in Round 1. He saw Kenny Britt from Rutgers, Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland or Brian Robiskie of Ohio State as the wide receiver options, and liked Robiskie if the Colts go that route. But Hawkeye went against the grain and opted for Cincinnati linebacker Connor Barwin, saying, “It seems like while the Colts aren’t looking for more size at DT, they are bulking up the LB corps. . . . He is also, literally, an all-around talent capable of playing both sides of the ball as either a bruising OLB or DE on Defense, as a TE on Offense, and most importantly excels on Special Teams. The consumate all-around athlete Barwin excels at so many levels I find it hard to beleive Polian would pass him up.” I liked the thought, but can’t see the Colts going linebacker in Round 1. . . .

A.J. was next and said he really, really wants a defensive tackle — i.e., Hood — but believed Colts President Bill Polian won’t go DT in Round 1, and was torn because he couldn’t decide between Nicks and Britt, and Shake weighed in with Hood, but said he wouldn’t mind Nicks from North Carolina. He also said he can’t see Barwin or Wells, and I agreed on Barwin, so he was basically off the list at this point (no offense, Hawkeye). A new reader, ColColt checked in and pushed for Robiskie, so right then I was sort of waffling between Robiskie and Nicks, but expecting to be swayed . . .

Rpcmd then got me thinking outside the receiver conversation by mentioning cornerback Alphonso Smith from Wake Forest and running back William Beatty from UConn, saying, “I think both are EXCELLENT fits for the Colts and both would also be surprises. Smith is just a phenomenal player but lacks the measurables to be a cover corner, he does however make plays and would be a great fit in a zone.” He then said his picks would be between Beatty, Smith, Nicks and Robiskie, and right then, those were the names I was considering. BlueShoes then put in a push for Darrius Heyward-Bey, which Hawkeye didn’t like one bit, saying, “Do you honestly think that a rookie 1st round pick is going to bump Gonzo, a 1st round pick with 2 years experience, out of his #2 spot? Gonzo is replacing Harrison. What they need is someone to replace Gonzo in the #3 spot.” . . .

Rpcmd then pushed Heyward-Bey out of my thinking when he said, “He wasn’t a first-round pick before the combine, when he was blazing, which might be impressive for some teams but probably less so for Polian. Also he’s been inconsistent and less productive than others which again makes me think Polian looks past him.” This is a good point. I have heard Polian often say receivers in the Colts’ offense must be able to catch. It sounds simplistic, but productivity and consistency is important to Polian. Rpcmd really liked Smith of Wake Forest at this point . . .

Blueshoes weighed back in to push for Heyward-Bey: ”He is the fastest WR in the draft, has very good hands, and progressed to the point that his college coach recommended to him to move on to the NFL as a junior.” Shake answered back, “DHB is a bad route runner. He’s not going to fit in with the offense. Peyton would murder him by the 5th time that he wasn’t even close to where he was suppose to be.” I found myself agreeing still with Shake and wanting to get out of the way. Shake also said, “Nicks is a much better fit for Indy. Great routes, great hands and he’s fast enough in game speed.”

Anonguy then weighed in and knowing he would endure Shake’s wrath, made a pitch for Britt of Rutgers. He also liked Nicks and Beanie Wells, with Hood fourth.

At this point, there was a lot of good debate and a lot of good information being exhanged, then just before eight o’clock, kbc weighed in and said he liked Nicks of North Carolina, and I gradually began to get a feeling the pick was going to be between Robiskie and Nicks. And wouldn’t you know it? Just after 11, Cass weighed in and picked Nicks of North Carolina.

So, guess what we went with . . .

No. 27 / Indianaplolis . . . Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina.

Now, of course, Polian probably won’t go this way. But if he did, it wouldn’t surprise me all that much, either.

UPDATE: Oh, yes, we’re on to

No. 28 /Buffalo . . .

No. 29 / New York Giants . . .

No. 30 / Tennessee . .  .

As promised, it’s all Indianapolis Colts 2009 NFL Draft all the time from here on out the rest of the month on Indy Football Report.

And I’ll admit:

I’ve been slower to get to full steam on the draft than I hoped. By nature, I like to have things methodically covered, which is why I like series and charts and lists. And while you can obviously chart the draft, it seemed an overwhelming venture to come up with a way to get it adequately covered in a unique way.

So,  I stopped trying. Not really, but close. Since you can’t comprehensively cover every possible selection, and since there is a multitude of draft sites on the web, what I’ve decided to do is localize this the best I can. Starting today, and running through the draft, I’ll try to provide a breakdown of each prospect being mentioned with the Colts with a slightly different — and perhaps more comprehensive tact — than I’ve seen out there. The idea will be to draw in the opinions of others, and provide an easy way for Colts fans to get a quick view on the player.

One thing: to make this really work, I’ll need the reader’s help. When I post a player profile, I’d love to see comments from everyone breaking this guy down. The nuts and bolts I’ll provide will be a start, but if we can get a discussion thread going after each one we might have something pretty interesting.

We’ll start with Hakeem Nicks, because he’s in the news lately, having worked out for the Colts.

One last thing: The one thing sort of unscientific is the mock draft. For the first few, I’ll be using the following mock drafts: The Football Expert (3/29), Pete Prisco of CBS Sports (3/11), John McLain of the Houston Chronicle (3/15), Pat Kirwan of NFL.com (4/1), www.walterfootball.com and a USA Today eight-person panel (3/30). That gives a decent variety of mocks from six sources — 13 if you consider each of USA Today’s eight-person panel. I’ll also make use of a good tool on Scout.com — the Draft Muncher.

 

Hakeem Nicks, WR . . .

1) The Basics . . .

College: North Carolina.

Ht: 6-1. Wt: 214.

Born: January 14, 1988.

Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
 
High School: Independence

* North Carolina media guide.

 

2) The Statistics . . .

2008: 68 receptions,1,222 yards, 12 touchdowns.

Career (three seasons): 181 receptions, 2,840 yards, 21 touchdowns.

* Nicks’ college statistics/ESPN.com.

 

3) The Highlights . . .

* A few highlights.

* The behind-the-back catch.

 

4) The All-Star Games . . .

* Did not participate.

 

5) The Combine . . .

Nicks was reportedly continuing to impress at the combine, running a 4.49 40-second-yard dash before tweaking a hamstring running a route at Lucas Oil Stadium. NFL.com reported the time as 4.63, but the official time was 4.49.

* NFL.com combine profile.

* He also kept a diary for the Tar Heel Times there.

 

6) The Pro Day Reports . . .

Most of the coverage on Nicks’ March 17 Pro Day has focused on 14-to-16 pounds he reportedly gained between injuring his hamstring at the combine in late February and the Pro Day. 

* NFL.com Blog: Nicks puts on 14 pounds since NFL Scouting Combine.

* Pro Football Talk: More on Nicks’ weight.

 

7) Recent news . . .

* Nicks worked out for Dolphins and Bill Parcells . .

* And for the Colts . . .

* And many others, including the Titans . . .

 

What the Best Draft Links are saying . . .

* NFL Draft Scout.

* Fftoolbox.

 

9) Breaking Down the Mocks . . .

Going to the Colts: None.

Available at No. 27: 8/13 (Prisco, Football Expert, Derek Harper/NFLDraftScout.com/USA Today, Sean Leahy/USA Today, Matt Pitzer/USA Today, Rob Lang/NFLDraftScout.com/USA Today, Kirwan, McClain.

Selected in first round: 9/13.

Highest: No. 17, New York Jets  . . . Jim Corbett/USA Today.

Lowest: Out of first round . . . several.

From the muncher: As of March 16, three mock drafts in the muncher were naming Nicks at No. 27.

 

10) IFR Analysis . . .

It’s easy to see why the Colts would be interested in Nicks. He was productive in college, and although he left a year early, the Colts during President Bill Polian’s tenure haven’t been averse to selecting underclassmen — Edgerrin James, Anthony Gonzalez. Nicks’ stock rose during his final collegiate season, then continued to rise through the NFL Scouting Combine. He reportedly gained 14-to-16 pounds between sustaining a hamstring injury at the combine in late February and his mid-march Pro Day, but more recent reports are than he has lost much of the weight. He ran a 4.49 at the combine, so although he’s not a burner, his speed is more than enough to play at the NFL level. His draft “stock” in the mock drafts has been anywhere from No. 17 to out of the first round, but there seems a better-than-average chance he will be available when the Colts select at No. 27. The more you look at Nicks, the more he seems like a Colts-type player. He figures to be a major part of the conversation among Colts draftniks from now until the draft.

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.