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Mayock’s Mock: Colts Draft OT Cedric Ogbuehi

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According to NFL.com Draft Analyst Mike Mayock, the Indianapolis Colts will once again be keeping their early draft focus towards the offensive side of the football by selecting Texas A&M’s Cedric Ogbuehi with the 29th overall pick:

The 6’5, 306 pound Ogbuehi is coming off a torn ACL suffered in the Aggies recent bowl game; however, he’s regarded as one of the best offensive tackles in this year’s draft class. He started all 13 games for the Aggies last season including 11 games at left tackle and 2 at right tackle respectively. He was named a 3rd-team All-American and 1st-Team All-SEC.

Oct 11, 2014; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi (70) during a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

While keeping Andrew Luck upright is and always will be a top priority for the Colts, this seems like a bit of a reach in my opinion. That’s not a knock on Ogbuehi, who’s a talented offensive tackle in his own right, but he or another highly regarded offensive tackle would make much more sense for the Colts in late Round 2, compared to here. It may be one thing if an elite tackle like Stanford’s Andrus Peat or LSU’s La’El Collins would unexpectedly fall to #29, but the Colts don’t necessarily need to reach for a prospect like Ogbuehi late in the first round just to solve a need.

To be honest, the Colts desperately need playmakers on that defensive side of the football. The offensive line and specifically right tackle is a significant concern with Gosder Cherilus a major question mark going forward. However, it was the defense that was the biggest culprit in the team’s 45-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.

With Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, UCLA’s Eric Kendricks, and Florida State’s Eddie Goldman still on the board, the Colts may be better served addressing the defense here with an early pick and looking to address right tackle in either the 2nd or 3rd round where talented prospects still figure to be readily available.

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