Colts: 3 possible first-round draft picks that would infuriate fans

2. Alex Leatherwood

Alex Leatherwood would be a risky first-round pick for the Colts.

The Colts’ need for a left tackle is well-documented, but it wouldn’t be surprising if four of the consensus top prospects were off the board by No. 21 overall.

We tend to see a chain reaction in the draft when one player at an in-demand position is selected and a handful more are taken within the next several picks … and we wouldn’t be surprised if that happened with the tackle position this year.

If that happened, Ballard should exercise patience and wait until the second round to draft one. The 53-year-old GM has continuously noted that he doesn’t operate in a desperate world, and selecting Alex Leatherwood would fly in the face of his philosophy.

Like any prospect, this isn’t to say that Leatherwood won’t pan out in the NFL. We just don’t think he’d be worth the No. 21 overall pick since they could potentially get their hands on him, Samuel Cosmi, Liam Eichenberg, or even Dillon Radunz in the second round at No. 57 overall.

We just saw the Giants reach on Andrew Thomas at No. 4 overall last year, and he ultimately proved to be the fourth- or fifth-best tackle in his rookie class.

That last thing Indianapolis needs is to waste a valuable selection on a tackle who ends up needing a year or two to get acclimated to speed of the NFL. Plus, there’s speculation in terms of whether Leatherwood has more of a future at guard than tackle. Can’t happen.