Rohit: NFL analyst Adam Schefter said that the no.1 overall pick would be worth up to three first round picks and a couple more second round picks. In my opinion, the value of three to four first round picks and a couple second round picks is much greater than the value of a once-in- a-lifetime player who may not turn out to be as such.
Jonny: In all honesty, it doesn’t matter how many picks one would give up for Luck. He is clearly the best prospect since John Elway, a fellow Stanford Grad, and his intangibles set him far above players such as the ostentatious Robert Griffin III.
Rohit: There is no question that Luck is a great prospect and that he will find success in the NFL. I just don’t see Luck having success with the Colts.
Jonny: Luck will find success no matter the team. He brings a deluge of unmatched skills to the table. What exactly is the problem with Indy?
Rohit: Well to start off, the Colts are lacking any inkling of athletic ability at running back or wide receiver.
Jonny: Hold your horses partner. The Colts have a dynamic duo of tight end in Dallas Clark and Jacob Tamme accompanied with a solid receiving core of All-Pro Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. All teams with elite quarterbacks have running backs who are relatively superfluous to their team, such as BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Kevin Smith and Darren Sproles.
Rohit: First of all, let me say that Austin Collie can’t brush his teeth without getting a concussion. With that being said, I think that the Colts are indeed lacking at wide reciever, and greatly lacking at running back. The Colts have a couple insignificant running backs named Donald Brown and Joseph Addai who have not made any impact in the NFL. Having a running back who can keep defenses honest is critical for any winning team, especially with a rookie quarterback.
Jonny: At Stanford, Luck honestly didn’t need anything around him. He had a receiving core hampered with injuries and his main target became Ryan Whalen, who simply can’t compare to receivers such as Wayne or Garcon. While you may say Stanford relied on a running game, it was their offensive line rather than a running game. Their incredibly physical offensive line highlighted by the projected top 10 picks of Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro allowed running backs such as Taylor to put in a solid days work every Saturday.
Rohit: Whether or not Stanford’s running game was due to their O-line, you cannot ignore the fact that the Cardinal ran the ball equally as much as they threw the ball, and they did that with much success. The first play of the Fiesta Bowl was a 70-yard touchdown pass off a play action pass for Andrew Luck.
Jonny: Regardless of how many times Stanford ran the ball, or how many times Luck’s receivers dropped easy passes, Luck is still an unparalleled passer. He has the leadership and a football IQ that far surpasses that of any quarterback in the draft. You really think the Colts are going to do anything other than draft Luck?
Rohit: I’ll tell you what the Colts should do. They should draft Robert Griffin III because it does not look like Peyton Manning is going to return. Griffin III is a guy that can make a positive play out of nothing and he is very disciplined. His parents were in the military so he has been trained all his life to work hard and make the right decision.
Jonny: You have to be kidding me. Robert Griffin III? Really? I could have managed to retain some respect for you if you had said they should wait for Barkley, but Griffin III? No, he has little to no discipline. First, you say he can make a positive play out of anything, and that is simply false. He has displayed jumpy pocket behavior throughout his career and consistently ducks out of the pocket at the slightest notion of a pass rush. That right there isn’t discipline. RGIII has over-the-top obnoxious celebrations whenever his team scores. That’s not discipline. On top of that, he has an awkward throwing motion which has to strike a pang of doubt into almost every pro scout. Luck is undoubtedly more pro-ready than Griffin III.
Rohit: I felt like Luck was exposed a little during the games against USC and Oregon. The lack of any play-makers made it tougher for him to help the team. Oregon and USC both had solid defenses and most of their players were faster and more athletic than Stanford’s offensive players. In the NFL, this discrepancy will be even bigger.
Jonny: That is where you are wrong. Luck had nobody to throw to this past year at the Farm. On top of that, Luck’s receivers couldn’t seem to catch the ball if it fell right into their hands in big games such as against Oregon. In Indy, Luck will have an arsenal of wide recievers and will be playing against some of the worst secondaries in the league in Houston, Jacksonville, and Tennesse. Luck practically can’t fail in Indy. With a seasoned offensive line, solid wide recievers, and a weak division, success won’t be hard to find for Luck.
Rohit: The issue with Luck’s success is not that his playmakers will not make plays, but rather it is that his “play-makers” are either out of their prime or injury prone. Guys like Reggie Wayne are getting older and guys like Austin Collie are injured half the time. With that being said, it would be better to start rebuilding now rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.
Jonny: In all honesty, you’re beyond salvation. Jim Irsay, if you want the Colts to do well in the coming years, draft Andrew Luck. If you would rather have them fizzle after Peyton retires in a year or two, (or this year according to professional journalist Rob Lowe) then by all means go ahead and draft the ostentatious Robert Griffin and with him you will get all his great attributes such as flamboyant socks and excessive celebration. Every Stanford quarterback to have been drafted first overall has won multiple Super Bowl Rings and at least one Super Bowl MVP. Jim, if you’re as smart as your tweets are bizarre, then you will realize that there really is no other option than to draft Andrew Luck.