Colts: Fantastic first rounds, and first-round follies

The Indianapolis Colts have had some intriguing and attention-grabbing first-round draft picks, and some they'd rather forget.

As Thursday's draft (8 p.m., ESPN, NFL) approaches -- the Colts are scheduled to pick 29th but a move isn't out of the question -- we take a look at some of the eventful Colts drafts, and IndyStar's Colts reporters offer their historical first-round draft superlatives.

1984

The Indianapolis Colts held their first draft at their team headquarters -- a former Northeastside elementary school. The team had moved from Baltimore just a month before, so team officials worked in classrooms. Their first pick was cornerback Leonard Coleman from Vanderbilt, who was taken eighth overall but had little impact. A second first-round pick, which came via the Colts' trade with Denver the previous year (they sent John Elway to the Broncos after he refused to sign with the Colts), yielded guard Ron Solt from Maryland.

1990

Jeff George, a state champion at Warren Central High School, started at Purdue but finished his college career at Illinois. The Colts coveted his big arm and traded receiver Andre Rison, tackle Chris Hinton and draft picks to get the No. 1 overall pick from Atlanta. They used the pick on George, who played four frustrating seasons in his hometown.

1994

The Colts had two early first-round picks -- Nos. 2 and 5, the second of which came via trade. The Colts took running back Marshall Faulk at No. 2, starting a line of terrific Colts backs. At No. 5, the Colts took linebacker Trev Alberts, and ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. -- at that point a relatively obscure draft analyst -- said the Colts would've been better off picking a quarterback, considering they had just gotten rid of Jeff George. That analysis prompted Colts GM Vince Tobin's dismissive response that started: "Who in the hell is Mel Kiper anyway?" Alberts had little impact in three seasons before retiring, and the player Kiper wanted the Colts to take -- Trent Dilfer -- never established himself as a franchise quarterback.

1998

The Colts had No. 1 overall. The question: Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf? The Colts chose wisely.

1999

The Colts had the fourth overall pick and they had just lost Marshall Faulk, so running back was a huge need. Many suspected Ricky Williams from Texas was the obvious choice, but GM Bill Polian went with the lesser-known Edgerrin James from Miami. New Orleans traded its entire draft for the No. 5 pick, taking Williams. It worked out much better for the Colts.

2012

After 1999, the Colts didn't have a top-10 pick until they finished 2-14 in 2011. Quarterback Peyton Manning's future wasn't in Indianapolis anymore, so the debate raged: Stanford's Andrew Luck or Baylor's Robert Griffin III? New GM Ryan Grigson went with Luck, who has led three straight 11-5 seasons to date. Griffin's tenure in Washington started well but has been rocky since.

RATING THE COLTS' BEST FIRST-ROUND PICK

Zak Keefer

Peyton Manning. Without Manning, does Indianapolis even have a pro football franchise of its own right now? Impossible to say. What isn't: The impact of Bill Polian's call (Manning over Ryan Leaf) in the spring of 1998 is perhaps the most significant decision in the history of professional sports in this state.

The rest of the best: 2, Andrew Luck; 3, Edgerrin James; 4, Marvin Harrison; 5, Dwight Freeney.

Stephen Holder

Peyton Manning: He transformed the franchise from an also-ran into a perennial contender, helping the Colts set a standard for offensive excellence in his time in Indianapolis.

The rest of the best: 2, Andrew Luck; 3, Marvin Harrison 4, Marshall Faulk; 5, Edgerrin James.

Nat Newell

Peyton Manning: It's easy to gloss over selecting Manning instead of Leaf in retrospect but it was a legitimate debate at the time. Manning's results speak for themselves.

The rest of the best: 2. Andrew Luck; 3. Marvin Harrison; 4. Dwight Freeney; 5. Edgerrin James.

RATING THE COLTS' WORST FIRST-ROUND PICK









Zak Keefer

Anthony Gonzalez. Still a curious decision. The last thing the Colts needed to do with their 2007 first-round pick was burn it on a slot receiver. Indy's offense -- with Manning, Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark all in their prime -- was loaded, deep and versatile. Polian could've easily and sufficiently filled the void left by Brandon Stokely in free agency. Gonzalez wound up catching less than 100 passes for the Colts in his five seasons.

The worst of the rest: 2, Steve Emtman; 3, Jeff George; 4. Trev Alberts; 5. Quentin Coryatt

Stephen Holder

Steve Emtman: Given the gigantic expectations that come with being the top pick in the draft, Emtman's career – 19 starts, eight sacks in six seasons – is among the most disappointing for a top overall choice.

The worst of the rest: 2, Quentin Coryatt; 3, Trev Alberts; 4, Leonard Coleman; 5, Anthony Gonzalez

Nat Newell

Steve Emtman and Quentin Coryatt: The Colts had the top two picks in the draft in 1992 and didn't capitalize. (Imagine Colts history if they had taken Troy Vincent and Chester McGlockton.) This came in the middle of a rough stretch of draft picks – Jeff George, Sean Dawkins, Trev Alberts. If I have to pick one, Alberts is the choice.

The worst of the rest: 2. Alberts, 3. Leonard Coleman, 4. Anthony Gonzalez, 5. Rob Morris.

WHO'S THE BEST PICK NOT NO. 1 OVERALL









Zak Keefer

Edgerrin James. Polian needed a running back to pair with Manning, who was coming off a promising (if not interception-prone) rookie campaign. The logical choice was the Heisman-winning, college rushing record holder Ricky Williams out of Texas. Which is why Polian's decision — James instead, which was met by a chorus of boos in Indianapolis — was all the more imperative. The gamble completed the most explosive offensive triumvirate in the history of the franchise. Manning, James and Marvin Harrison helped catapult the Colts into the NFL's elite.

Stephen Holder

Marvin Harrison: He was picked 19th overall from Syracuse after having a very good, if not spectacular, career there. Until his senior year, he'd never had more than 41 receptions in a single season. Ultimately, it was a genius pick.

Nat Newell

The Colts have had some good candidates for this but my choice is Marvin Harrison. The Colts nabbed one of the greatest receivers in NFL history with the 19th pick in 1996, giving Peyton Manning a needed weapon when he was drafted two years later. Marshall Faulk is in the Hall of Fame but a significant portion of his production came with St. Louis (Andre Rison and Cornelius Bennett are eliminated for spending even less time with the Colts). Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Dwight Freeney, Tarik Glenn and Dallas Clark also warrant consideration.

MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED FIRST-ROUNDER









Zak Keefer

Tarik Glenn. The man protected Peyton Manning's blind side for a decade. How can you put a price on that? Glenn — who probably committed more false starts than any lineman in team history — was a rock on the left side of the Colts' line, starting all 154 games of his 10-year career. And he finished his career on top, with a Super Bowl win over the Bears.

Stephen Holder

Tarik Glenn: Let's not act as if Peyton Manning would have had as much success here had he not had consistent backside protection during his formative years as a pro. Glenn showed up, reliably, every Sunday and performed.

Nat Newell

Ron Solt. The team's second first-round pick (No. 19 in 1984 after Leonard Coleman went No. 8 in the team's first season in Indy) was a solid offensive lineman at a time the Colts weren't having a lot of success. He was part of the compensation for John Elway, then swapped to the Eagles for the pick that turned into Andre Rison.