Apr 26, 2013; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks before the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NFL Draft concluded Saturday, and with it brought six new Indianapolis Colts, carefully selected by the team’s scouts, along with General Manager Ryan Grigson. Ultimately, the success of this draft for Indianapolis will not be determined for several years, when these players fully develop (or don’t) into experienced NFL players, but here’s how I would grade the picks for the Colts this year:

Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida St) – Rd 1, Pick 24

When drafting, teams must decide whether to select the best available player or a player that meets a need. With Werner, the Colts did both. Ryan Grigson admitted that he did not expect Werner to be available by the time the Colts were on the clock, so he jumped at the opportunity to draft him. Werner could be a nice future replacement for Dwight Freeney, though he has big shoes to fill to live up to the fierce pass rusher. Though I might have gone for an offensive lineman here to protect the often-pressured Andrew Luck, the elite tackles were long gone by the time Colts drafted in the first round. This is a very solid pick.  Grade: A-

Hugh Thornton (OG, Illinois) – Rd 3, Pick 86

The Colts did not have a second round pick, but they got a second-round value with Thornton. Thornton is a very strong, physical, and versatile player with tremendous upside and great character. He has to work on his lateral speed, but he should be able to start right away. Andrew Luck should be very happy with this pick. Grade: A

Khaled Holmes (C, USC) – Rd 4, Pick 121

This pick confused me a little bit. While the Colts need help up front, they already have A.Q. Shipley and Samson Satele at the center position. Holmes also battled through several injuries his senior season. However, in 2011, Homes was part of a line that allowed the 2nd-fewest sacks in college football. When he wasn’t on the field, USC struggled protecting their quarterback at the time, Matt Barkley (drafted Saturday by Philadelphia). Holmes definitely has promise if he can stay healthy, and perhaps he can play at guard, too. Grade: C

Montori Hughes (DT, Tennessee-Martin) – Rd 5, Pick 139

The Colts traded up to snag Montori Hughes, and the defensive tackle definitely has more talent than a fifth-round pick would suggest. But he has had consistency and character issues in the past, having been dismissed from the University of Tennessee in 2011. However, after joining the University of Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks, he turned things around, playing in every game from 2011-2012 and recording 31 tackles, four sacks, and 13 QB hurries in his senior season. Grigson really dug deep into the trenches for this pick, and if he can motivate Hughes to work hard and reach his full potential, this could prove to be a great move. Grade: C+

John Boyett (SS, Oregon) – Rd 6, Pick 192

Boyett was part of an elite program at Oregon. In his junior season, he led the Ducks in tackles and was second-team All Pac-12 . However, his senior season ended early in 2012, when he needed surgery to repair partial tears in both patella tendons. If Boyett can return to prior form, he can be a great addition to the Colts defense. A low-risk, high-reward pick that fulfills a need (Bethea and Lefeged’s contracts are up after next season). Grade: B

Kerwynn Williams (RB, Utah St) – Rd 7, Pick 230

I was hoping the Colts would draft a running back at some point, and that’s just what they did with their first of two seventh-round picks. Kerwynn Williams is sure to play on special teams as a kick returner, something the Colts desperately need. He’s a proven pass catcher and he’s quick, having run a very strong 4.48 in the 40. On the downside, he struggles when blocking, and one glaring line in his NFL Draft Profile concerns me: “Fumbles when hit after immediately taking the handoff.” Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Grade: C

Justice Cunningham (TE, South Carolina) – Rd 7, Pick 254

For the second year in a row, the Colts had the last pick in the draft and the honor of choosing Mr. Irrelevant. This year, the distinction went to Justice Cunningham, a 6’3″ tight end from the University of South Carolina. Cunningham could be used a blocker, but he doesn’t fit the traditional Colts mold of a pass-catching tight end like former Colt Dallas Clark and the now sophomore Colts Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen. With two young tight ends already on the roster, I’m not sure why exactly the Colts went with Cunningham. I would have rather seen them take a corner. Grade: C-

Final Grade: B

This was a good draft for the Colts, but not a great one. I really wish the team would have drafted a cornerback. Otherwise though, they did a good job of balancing best available with need. Combined with the free agent signings already made this offseason, the Colts have upgraded several key areas on their roster. Training camp should be a good and competitive one. I look forward to seeing these players develop and contribute to the Horseshoe!

Post-draft Note: Following the draft, the Colts signed Daxton Swanson, a cornerback from San Diego State, as an undrafted free agent. Since the move was not officially part of the draft, my grade will remain the same, but I’m really glad the Colts addressed this need. They must have heard me!

Jan 26, 2013; Mobile, AL, USA; Senior Bowl north squad offensive lineman Hugh Thornton of Illinois (72) prior to kickoff of a game against the Senior Bowl south squad at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Day 2 of the 2013 NFL Draft brought yet another new addition to the Indianapolis Colts. With the 86th pick in the third round, the Colts selected guard Hugh Thornton of Illinois. The Colts did not have a pick in the second round, relinquishing it to the Miami Dolphins last season when they traded for cornerback Vontae Davis.

With Thornton, the Colts address another big need at the guard position and get an immediate upgrade. Thornton could find himself in a starting role as early as Week 1. The 6’3″, 320-lb Thornton started 10 games in 2012 and 35 games total for Illinois. He’s played and started at left tackle, right tackle, left guard, and right guard, making him incredibly versatile. In 2012, Thornton was voted Second Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and got an honorable mention from the media.

A former heavyweight wrestler, Thornton is strong and incredibly tough – both physically and mentally. When he was younger, his parents divorced, and in 2004, his mother and sister were tragically murdered in Jamaica. Thornton has persevered through some very difficult times to rise to the pinnacle of sports that is the NFL. He has the kind of the character that should fit in perfectly with the Colts’ locker room.

Thornton also has a direct connection to the Colts. He was coached at Illinois by Joe Gilbert, the Colts’ offensive line coach.

Following the selection, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah tweeted, “Like the Colts pick…Hugh Thornton has quick feet and a strong base. He should be a day one starter at OG.”

Another solid pick for Indianapolis.

The Colts have four more selections to make (121, 192, 230, and 254 – Mr. Irrelevant), which will all happen tomorrow in the 4th through 7th rounds.

January 27, 2013; Honolulu, HI, USA; AFC quarterback Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos (18) and AFC quarterback Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts (12) pass the ball during warm ups before the 2013 Pro Bowl against the NFC at Aloha Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Horseshoe Hero: Pro Bowl Addition

After last year’s embarrassing Pro Bowl, commissioner Roger Goodell threatened to rid the league of football’s historic All Star showcase game. But then again, Peyton Manning wasn’t in last year’s Pro Bowl. After missing the entire 2011-2012 season while recovering from a fourth next surgery, Manning returned to the NFL as a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, earning more votes than any other player in the league. But unlike his 11 other Pro Bowl appearances, this time he earned the honor in a different uniform.

We all know the story. The Colts went a shocking 2-14 without Manning under center, and the team released him, drafted Andrew Luck, and cut several other notable Colts legends. The Colts overachieved and made it to the Wild Card round of the playoffs with the rookie Luck, and the Manning-led Broncos made it to the AFC divisional round after going 13-3 and locking up the AFC’s top seed. Both Luck and Manning made the Pro Bowl. Everyone seemingly won.

All week at the Pro Bowl, Manning has been advocating the game’s importance, encouraging his AFC teammates to play hard with hopes that Goodell would be convinced to keep the game in place. Manning believes that his Pro Bowl experiences helped him learn valuable lessons from the legends who played alongside him. He wanted to show how special the game was.

Mission accomplished.

Manning provided the best moments of the Pro Bowl by reuniting with two of his former Colts teammates. He threw 2 passes to Reggie Wayne – still a Colt – and it was a special sight to see the two hook up again on the field for old times sake. Manning and Wayne could probably run routes together in their sleep.

Later in the second quarter, something even more unprecedented occurred. Jeff Saturday, Manning’s longtime center with the Colts who signed with the Green Bay Packers of the NFC last offseason, took the field on the AFC side and lined up in front of Manning. He snapped Manning the ball, the crowd cheered, and my eyes teared up. Saturday, who has played 14 years in the NFL, will retire after the Pro Bowl. It was one of his very last snaps.

Manning did throw an impressive touchdown to AJ Green of the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter, but the scoring play paled in comparison to these others.

None of this would have been made possible had it not been for the Pro Bowl. These are the things that need to be kept in mind when evaluating the game’s importance in the future.