Stephen Holder

IndyStar

NFL draft: April 28-30 in Chicago

Colts pick 18th in the first round

MOBILE, Ala. — The NFL draft is still three months away, but the process of dissecting prospects has been underway for quite some time.

That's certainly true for the Indianapolis Colts. They're here in force this week, from General Manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano to the entire scouting staff, looking for talent at this week's Senior Bowl practices. The college all-star showcase (2:30 p.m. Saturday, NFL Network) gives teams a chance to see players practice and play against elite competition, something that looms large in player evaluation.

It's too early to speculate on whom the Colts will pick in April. Besides, they are not a team that generally provides much in the way of clues. But , we've come up with a list of five intriguing Senior Bowl prospects who could appeal to the Colts for a variety of reasons. Keep in mind that many of the elite prospects are underclassmen and, thus, not eligible for all-star games. These are merely Senior Bowl prospects.

Kyler Fackrell, OLB, Utah State

Fackrell has played all over the field. He was, for instance, a safety as a high school senior. But he settled into a role at Utah State that is his true love.

"Being versatile is something I strive to be," he said. "But what I love is to rush the passer. That's my thing."

Are you listening, Colts? If they deem Fackrell capable of doing so at the NFL level, it's possible he could be on their radar. Fackrell likely has appeal to the Colts because he'll have much less of a learning curve than most other pass rushers the team will consider. His college defense was a 3-4 alignment, so he has extensive experience rushing the passer from a two-point stance. Often, college defensive ends have trouble transitioning to stand-up outside linebacker roles in the NFL (Bjoern Werner?), one that requires them to often drop into coverage.

Speaking of coverage, perhaps Fackrell's biggest feat as a college player came in pass coverage. His 99-yard interception return for a touchdown against Hawaii in 2013 is one of the more impressive plays you'll see from a linebacker.

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Deiondre' Hall, CB, Northern Iowa

Cornerback figures to be a need for the Colts, with starting left cornerback Greg Toler entering free agency after a tough season. The Colts spent a third-round pick last season on D'Joun Smith, but after battling a knee injury all year, he remains unproven.

Depth at cornerback has been a long-running issue, and Hall might be able to help the Colts address that. He fits the mold of the corner the Colts covet: a man-to-man cover guy who relishes playing press coverage. That's what Hall said he did almost exclusively in school.

"The scheme we ran was press-man, probably 85, 90 percent of the time," he said. "I definitely can play it. I'm basically out of the game, locking up that outside receiver. It's dog eat dog. We got a few different coverages here and there, but that's where we were making our money at."

Interestingly, Hall has tons of experience at safety, too. He was recruited to play free safety and only transitioned to cornerback in the past two seasons. He still played some safety last season as a senior, but NFL teams have told Hall they project him as a cornerback. He'd have great size for the position, measuring 6-1½ and 192 pounds in Monday's weigh-in.

Nick Martin, C-G, Notre Dame

We won't bore you with the details, but most fans know the Colts have had a revolving door of centers during the past two seasons. The lack of stability at the position has affected quarterback Andrew Luck, allowing too much interior pass rush.

Martin offers a potential solution. The Indianapolis native and younger brother of Dallas Cowboys lineman Zack Martin has the flexibility to play guard or center, but he's a center at heart. The Senior Bowl has him listed as a guard, indicating that's where teams want to see him this week. But if it was up to Martin, he'd be snapping.

"I think in the long run, I'm a center," he said. "But when it comes to the next level, the versatility is what helps you. I just started playing (center) in spring of my sophomore year and I just felt really comfortable there. I try to use my body and my length there and it's always felt really natural."

Martin is seen as an early-round pick. The bigger question seems to be what position he'll play.

Jordan Jenkins, OLB, Georgia

Like Fackrell, Jenkins is another prospect with experience in the 3-4 defense, which he played in at Georgia. He's an athlete regarded for his speed and, at 6-2, 257 pounds, fits the physical mold of a 3-4 outside linebacker. He's playing more of a conventional outside linebacker role here at the Senior Bowl, but he appears destined to be a pass rusher.

"I feel like I have pretty good get-off and I have a pretty high IQ and knowledge of what's going on with the opponent's offense," he said. "I also think I'm pretty strong at the point of attack. But I still have a lot of weight to put on upper body-wise. I think that will really help me at the next level."

Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana

This Elkhart native is one of the better tackles available this year and, based upon how things fall on draft night, could be a first-round selection. But the Colts would have to at least consider a good value pick at a premium position if Spriggs is on the board in, say, Round 2.

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Joe Reitz performed well as the Colts' right tackle in 2015, and Anthony Castonzo is their long-term left tackle. But Reitz had previously been a primary backup at two spots, which hurt depth. Besides, anybody got a problem with offensive line competition?

Wherever he winds up, Spriggs is a strong believer his athleticism will help him even the playing field against speedy NFL edge rushers.

"I think it's going to be huge for me personally to get out and dance with some of the defensive ends, as opposed to being a slower-footed guy," Spriggs said. "I think I can get out there on the edge with those guys."

Follow IndyStar reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.