Why I'm OK With The Colts Drafting Andrew Luck.

I suppose "OK with" might be a little misleading. In the end, I'd rather the Colts just draft Jerry Hughes all over again, but that's probably not going to happen. In any case, it's old news (as if it wasn't obvious to begin with) that the Colts do plan on taking Andrew Luck with the first overall pick. While that isn't a fun concept to grasp, I think I might prefer it over the alternative.

Robert Griffin III is unreal. Calling him the consolation prize to whichever QB hungry team misses out on Luck is a travesty because he'd likely be the crown jewel of any other draft without hesitation. There will be doubters, and they'll say things like "Well he's only a prospect, you can't possibly know that his skill set will translate to the NFL well enough to make him worth the top pick." Same went for Manning, same goes for Luck. I don't care how many audibles Andrew Luck called in college, until he's established himself as an NFL quarterback, he's nothing more than a great college player. Right now, I view these two as equals. I'm not yet ready to proclaim Griffin III as "safe" of a pick as Luck is, because he looks a lot like a pretty surefire star, but let's be honest, RGIII was just as impressive this season as Luck was. It's also true that Griffin has only improved during his time at Baylor. As a freshman, he had very similar stats to our own Jake Locker with his low-ish completion percentage and relatively few touchdowns. After not getting much action during his sophomore year, Griffin exploded for 30 total touchdowns and raised his completion percentage to the high 60's as a junior. Of course, in 2011 he entered god-mode and increased his totals in just about every meaningful category en route to the Heisman Trophy.

If this says one thing it's that he's capable of raising his game and will continue to do so once he reaches the NFL, I have very few worries about him being able to harness his incredible amount of talent. To make another unfair comparison, his college numbers blow those of Offensive Rookie of the Year and single season record setter Cam Newton out of the water. He might not have the size of Newton, (only important because it should probably help his durability when he decides to leave the pocket) but his open field quickness and flat-line speed are unmatched at the quarterback position, or really at any other position for that matter. He possesses legitimate 4.3 speed and would have competed for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team as a hurdler had he chosen to pursue track and field over football. For all his smarts and undeniable talent, I don't think Luck has the ceiling of Griffin because of this speed and elusiveness.

For those who question Griffin's passing prowess, find me another quarterback who completed nearly 75% of his passes this season. Now find me a quarterback who can take off and make plays with his legs like Griffin can that still completes 75% of his passes. You can't. Naturally, his legs would help mask any deficiencies he has throwing the ball, which I don't expect him to have. Mind you, they wouldn't completely get rid of them, the quarterback's primary job is to complete passes after all, but assuming he's just an average passer, let's say on par with 2008 Matt Cassel who posted a 108 rate+ with 21 TDs and 11 INTs, you can basically take it to the bank that he'd be infinitely more valuable to a team because of his ability to scramble and get downfield in a hurry. That potential alone puts him up there as one of the best prospects in quite a few years in my mind. Now granted he is a spread offense QB, but others before him have had success and he really does look like he has great downfield accuracy you look for in a pro-style player. Plus, his pocket awareness is absolutely on point. He senses pressure, breaks out of it, and then becomes exceedingly more dangerous than he was just a couple of seconds ago. His accuracy on the run rivals Jake Locker's. He will absolutely pick defenses apart with this blend of skills. Finally, from what I've heard, it sounds like Griffin had a whole lot of control of Baylor's offense, meaning he was making pre-snap reads and adjusting his plays accordingly. That means he's at got an idea of what being a pro quarterback will be like at a young age. I'm not trying to stir anything up, but if Luck's a five-star general, Griffin's at least a three at this point with considerable room for improvement. I'm just spitballing here, but we're currently at a very innovative time in the NFL, I'd like to at least see the spread offense in action before we call it completely asinine. It's not hard to imagine a team building a new system around a talent like Griffin.

Finally, I'd like to put the Ryan Leaf/Peyton Manning comparison to rest right now. Leaf was nowhere near the prospect that Griffin is. He was inaccurate and kind of a whack job. In any case, I'm not sure I'd like to see either of these guys end up in Indianapolis, but I'll say this; Andrew Luck is unsettling, RGIII is downright terrifying.