INDIANAPOLIS — Believe it or not, the 2017 NFL Draft is less than 48 hours away.
The draft, of course, joins free agency as one of the primary roster-building opportunities each offseason for every National Football League team. Not only do teams get a fair shot at the best prospects college football has to offer, but those who aren't selected within the seven rounds immediately become free agents, and franchises get a chance to find those hidden gems.
But before the draft gets underway, it's important to take a look at the free agents brought in by each team — and those who became free agents over the offseason that weren't retained — to see what kind of shape the roster is in heading into the draft.
Whether or not NFL teams admit it — and most do not — it's hard to look at various position groups going into the draft each year and wonder which ones need the most improvement. That's no different this offseason for the Indianapolis Colts, who theoretically have many positions of need, primarily on the defensive side of the ball, they hope to address beginning with the 15th overall pick Thursday night.
One theme that is pretty much inevitable in the NFL these days is turnover, as injuries, ineffectiveness and a desire to change things up at various positions often parlays into dozens of changes each and every year.
So let's have a little fun, and take a look at the Indianapolis Colts' roster at this time last year heading into the draft, and do a little "before and after" with this year's pre-draft roster, which, of course, is now in the hands of first-year general manager Chris Ballard (all players listed are generally in alphabetical order by last name, according to their position on the Colts.com roster):
Quarterback (2016; 3):
— Andrew Luck
— Stephen Morris
— Scott Tolzien
Quarterback (2017; 3):
— Andrew Luck
— Stephen Morris
— Scott Tolzien
Changes (0): None———————————
Running back (2016; 4):
— Frank Gore
— Jordan Todman
— Robert Turbin
— Tyler Varga
— Trey Williams
Running back (2017; 3):
— Josh Ferguson
— Frank Gore
— Robert TurbinChanges (3): Gone are Varga and Williams; added is Ferguson.
———————————
Wide receiver (2016; 7):
— Josh Boyce
— Quan Bray
— Jacoby Brissett
— T.Y. Hilton
— Donte Moncrief
— Josh Stangby
— Brian Tyms
Wide receiver (2017; 9):
— Kamar Aiken
— Quan Bray
— Phillip Dorsett
— T.Y. Hilton
— Marcus Leak
— Donte Moncrief
— Chester Rogers
— Tevaun Smith
— Devin StreetChanges (8): Gone are Boyce, Stangby and Tyms; added are Aiken, Leak, Rogers, Smith and Street
———————————Tight end (2016; 5):
— Dwayne Allen
— Cameron Clear
— Jack Doyle
— Mike McFarland
— Mo Alie-CoxTight end (2017; 4):
— Mo Alie-Cox
— Jack Doyle
— Erik Swoope
— Brandon WilliamsChanges (5):Gone are Allen, Clear and McFarland; added are Alie-Cox and Williams.———————————Offensive line (2016; 8):
— Jonotthan Harrison
— Khaled Holmes
— Kitt O'Brien
— Joe Reitz
— Hugh Thornton
— Anthony Castonzo
— Denzelle Good
— Jack MewhortOffensive line (2017; 12):
— Austin Blythe
— Ryan Kelly
— Brian Schwenke
— Adam Redmond
— Isiah Cage
— Anthony Castonzo
— Le'Raven Clark
— Fahn Cooper
— Joe Haeg
— Jeremy Vujnovich
— Denzelle Good
— Jack MewhortChanges (14): Gone are Harrison, Holmes, O'Brien, Reitz and Thornton; added are Blythe, Kelly, Schwenke, Redmond, Cage, Clark, Cooper, Haeg and Vujnovich.———————————Defensive line (2016; 9):
— Kendall Langford
— Earl Okine
— Henry Anderson
— Arthur Jones
— Ricky Lumpkin
— T.Y. McGill
— David Parry
— Kelcy Quarles
— Zach KerrDefensive line (2017; 9):
— Margus Hunt
— Kendall Langford
— Kristjan Sokoli
— Henry Anderson
— Johnathan Hankins
— T.Y. McGill
— David Parry
— Hassan Ridgeway
— Al WoodsChanges (10): Gone are Okine, Jones, Lumpkin, Quarles and Kerr; added are Hunt, Sokoli, Hankins, Ridgeway and Woods.
———————————Linebackers (2016; 10):
— Amarlo Herrera
— Nate Irving
— D'Qwell Jackson
— Edwin Jackson
— Sio Moore
— Junior Sylvestre
— Trent Cole
— Robert Mathis
— Eze Obiora
— Erik WaldenLinebackers (2017; 14):
— Jon Bostic
— Edwin Jackson
— Deon King
— Antonio Morrison
— Luke Rhodes
— Sean Spence
— Alex Bazzie
— Akeem Ayers
— Lavar Edwards
— Curt Maggitt
— Barkevious Mingo
— Deiontrez Mount
— Jabaal Sheard
— John SimonChanges (22): Gone are Herrera, Irving, D. Jackson, Moore, Sylvestre, Cole, Mathis, Obiora, Walden; added are Bostic, King, Morrison, Rhodes, Spence, Bazzie, Ayers, Edwards, Maggitt, Mingo, Mount, Sheard and Simon.
———————————Cornerbacks (2016; 7):
— Jalil Brown
— Darius Butler
— Vontae Davis
— Tay Glover-Wright
— Tevin Mitchel
— Patrick Robinson
— D'Joun SmithConrerbacks (2017; 8):
— Vontae Davis
— Charles Davis II
— Rashaan Melvin
— Christopher Milton
— Tevin Mitchel
— Darryl Morris
— Larry Scott
— Frankie WilliamsChanges (11): Gone are Brown, Butler (to safety), Glover-Wright, Robinson and Smith; added are C. Davis, Melvin, Milton, Morris, Scott and Williams.
———————————
Safeties (2016; 5):
— Mike Adams
— Akeem Davis
— Clayton Geathers
— Winston Guy
— Dezmond SouthwardSafeties (2017; 8):
— Darius Butler
— Matthias Farley
— Clayton Geathers
— T.J. Green
— Lee Hightower
— Stefan McClure
— Duke Williams
— Andrew WilliamsonChanges (11): Gone are Adams, Davis, Guy and Southward; added are Butler, Farley, Green, Hightower, McClure, Williams and Williamson.———————————
Specialists (2016; 4):
— Adam Vinatieri (K)
— Forrest Hill (LS)
— Matt Overton (LS)
— Pat McAfee (P)Specialists (2017; 5):
— Devon Bell (K)
— Adam Vinatieri (K)
— Joe Fortunato (LS)
— Matt Overton (LS)
— Jeff Locke (P)Changes (5): Gone are Hill and McAfee; added are Bell, Fortunato and Locke.
The analysis from those producing content on Colts.com does not necessarily represent the thoughts of the Indianapolis Colts organization. Any conjecture, analysis or opinions formed by Colts.com content creators is not based on inside knowledge gained from team officials, players or staff.
