With the first pick in the 2012 MHR Community mock draft, the Indianapolis Colts select:
Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Stanford
Colts rep: Fear the Forehead
Pick explanation:
There is no mystery surrounding who the Colts will pick with the first overall pick in the 2012 draft. Jim Irsay wouldn't have released Peyton Manning without a clear vision of who would take the reins of a rebuilding franchise. That decision wasn't made with the hopes that one of two prospects would lead the Colts back to the winning ways of the previous decade. Andrew Luck is and always was the reason. Sorry RGIII, you never had a chance. Andrew Luck was able to become a legend at Stanford despite starting his career in the shadow cast by John Elway. He now has the luxury of replacing 4 time MVP, Peyton Manning. Home games will be played in "the house that Peyton built," a.k.a. Lucas Oil Stadium.
The stakes have never been higher for young Luck, or Mr. Irsay for that matter. Luck's career will always unfairly be compared to the career of Peyton Manning. With Manning wanting to play "a long time" in Denver, the pressure to perform will be immediate. Luck is walking into a franchise with a rookie GM and head coach, along with a roster purged of talent and hampered by 38 million worth of dead cap space. Fans will be forgiving of Luck struggling as a rookie, but the pressure from the media will be constant and immediate. Unfair questions will be asked. Unfair comparisons will be made. Players in Elway's and even Manning's era came in to the league under a magnifying glass. Luck is coming into a league where players are examined with X-ray vision and a microscope. Learning to live under that constant scrutiny and pressure with be as important to his development as his ability to make all the throws.
By all accounts Andrew Luck has shown he has the ability to handle the pressure of the spotlight and be a franchise QB. Now he actually has to do it. Only time will tell who is truly Luck-y. Will Luck bring the Colts back to an AFC powerhouse? Will the former QB who asked Bob Irsay for the door team up with the QB who was shown the door by Jim Irsay, and lead the
Broncos back to Superbowl glory? Is there a winner or loser? One thing is for certain. A Stanford QB is changing the future of two different franchises.......Again. As a football fan I'm anxiously waiting to watch it unfold. No pressure Mr. Luck. No pressure.
Commissioner's analysis:
To me, this is a no-brainer selection as well. The Colts will take Andrew Luck, though they are not going to simply say it's a done deal and not cover their bases. They sent a contingent to the Baylor pro day and obviously have some intrigue in RG3, this year's Heisman Trophy winner. That said, I don't think there's any doubt whatsoever about who this pick will be, and Luck is a good one.
Luck's athletic ability, intelligence, and overall football knowledge will help him ease into the NFL better than any other young quarterback I've evaluated. I don't think he's elite in every regard as a prospect, but what he possesses in terms of work ethic and overall intangibles as well as athletic ability cannot be coached. This is a great way to start off a franchise rebuild, and a good excuse to cut the best player in your team's history.
Draft Recap:
1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
