Stephen Holder | IndyStar

Clark Wade/IndyStar

Butch Dill, AP

INDIANAPOLIS – If the Indianapolis Colts possessed a few more picks on Friday night, who knows how many more linemen General Manager Chris Ballard might have selected?

That’s how unrelentingly committed to the idea of solidifying his front lines Ballard was entering this year’s NFL Draft.

“I had some frustrating moments last year where I just thought, physically, we didn’t match up,” Ballard said. “Especially in our division.”

And damn if he wasn’t going to do something about it.

Ever had a dream in which you enjoyed a life-changing experience? Well, Ballard apparently lived his on Friday night.

“I’ve dreamt about this, being able to be in charge of a draft and draft O line/D line,” he said. “It’s what I believe. It’s how I grew up in this league.”

{{props.notification}} {{props.tag}} {{props.expression}} {{props.linkSubscribe.text}} {{#modules.acquisition.inline}}{{/modules.acquisition.inline}} ... Our reporting. Your stories. Get unlimited digital access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

Accordingly, the Colts made four picks Friday, and three of the four play within a few feet of the football. The one non-lineman, South Carolina State linebacker Darius Leonard (36th overall), is a heat-seeking sideline-to-sideline linebacker who figured to be a factor in the front seven. Beyond him, the Colts stayed steadfast in their search for big bodies with Auburn guard Braden Smith (37th), Rutgers defensive end Kemoko Turay (52nd) and Ohio State defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis (64th).

Clark Wade/IndyStar

The grand total, including Thursday’s first round, is as follows: Five picks, two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen and a whole lot of physicality and toughness.

The Colts need many things. Receivers. Running backs. Maybe a cornerback or two. But none of those needs, in the estimation of the men making the decisions here at Colts headquarters, trumped the need to stockpile the offensive and defensive fronts with talent.

“Like we said from the start, Chris and I share the same philosophy,” coach Frank Reich said. “I’ve experienced that my whole career as a player and a coach. I’ve just always had an appreciation. … You have to run the football and you have to be able to rush the passer and stop the run to win, to go where you want to go.

“You can win games the other way. But you can win championships like that, by winning up front. I experienced that last year. With all the hoopla around the skill players that were in Philadelphia, the reason, in my opinion, that there was a championship is because of the fronts on both sides. So, that’s not a new philosophy. That’s a conviction that we’re going to stick to.”

It remains to be seen whether the Colts got the right guys Friday. Even they can’t say for certain. Everything is a projection until Sunday afternoons arrive. But they certainly accomplished their goals when it came to prioritizing the trenches.

The Colts have completely changed the complexion of their offensive line in a span of two nights. With Quenton Nelson picked at No. 6 overall and Smith joining the fray on Friday, the Colts have a set of guards who will present one heck of a counter to the solid fronts seen around the AFC South in Jacksonville and Houston.

The Colts had a line where undrafted Jeremy Vujnovich started 16 games in 2017, playing every snap of the season. Now, they have players with superior pedigree at guard and could enter the discussion as one of the best lines in football if these guys pan out. If nothing else, the Colts will have one of the deepest.

“We’re going to have good depth in the interior of our offensive line,” Ballard said. “If you remember last year, there were times we were having to pick guys off the street and they were starting. I didn’t want to go through that again.”

Said Reich: “It’s about competition. And my experience has been that you’re not looking for five starters. You’re looking for eight or nine starters on the offensive. You want that depth and you want that competition.”

The numbers are starting to pile up on the defensive line, too. The Colts have what look like a logjam of edge players after adding two to the fold Friday night. But that’s actually by design. The Colts, Ballard said, will deploy seven to eight defensive linemen on Sundays. They want to cycle them in and out, so Jabaal Sheard, Tarell Basham, Denico Autry and others can coexist with new additions Turay and Lewis.

“You win up front, you win when you rush, you win with speed,” Ballard said. “And that’s how we’re going to play. We’re going to play in waves. We’re going to play seven and eight defensive linemen in waves. So, the defensive line is always going to get the priority with us.”

You can choose to dwell on the lack of skill-position talent for the Colts in this draft. And you can question whether the Colts took some liberties in drafting a player like Turay, whose production raises questions.

But you can’t question their priorities in this draft. The only remaining question: How many more linemen might Ballard draft on Saturday?