Colts Draft Profiles: Breaking Down the Top Nose Tackles

Oct 4, 2014; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (80) celebrates a turnover against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier, we have noted that the Indianapolis Colts still have some serious work to do along their defensive line. The team is currently posturing to move forward with the bold, yet risky proposition of having some of their younger defensive lineman like Montori Hughes and Zach Kerr play more prominent roles next season.

However, with Head Coach Chuck Pagano proclaiming that stopping the run is the defense’s top priority, it’s certainly arguable whether those two ideas actually go hand-in-hand:

Don’t get me wrong, the Colts do have some young rotational defensive lineman, who are both talented and deserve the opportunity to earn more playing time. However, are the backups on a defensive line that just got manhandled by the New England Patriots running game in the AFC Championship Game suddenly going to be the difference in the Colts defense’s ability to stop the run?

Instead, the Colts should also look to bring in some blue-chip defensive line prospects early in this year’s draft. Armed with the 29th overall pick, the team should have the opportunity to draft a prized nose tackle that can anchor their defense against the run for the foreseeable future.

Among the two most highly regarded nose tackles in this year’s draft class are Oklahoma’s Jordan Phillips and Florida State’s Eddie Goldman: