Draft success key to Colts winning ways

This Super Bowl is the first time since 1993 that both top seeded teams from their respective conferences have made it to the Big Game, but for the Indianapolis Colts having a shot at getting there has been an almost yearly occurrence ever since Bill Polian took over as the team’s General Manager in 1998.

Step back two more years to 1996 and you can begin to understand where much of the Colts success comes from.  Unlike most NFL teams, they rarely miss when it comes to selecting first round draft talent.  Now to be successful, you have to be able to hit on  more than just your first pick each year, but making the most of your top choice is a key indicator of how you’ll do in the rest of the draft.

Beginning in ’96, the Colts drafted Marvin Harrison, in ’97 it was Tarik Glenn, then it was Peyton Manning in Polian’s first year.  Next it was Edgerrin James,  then Rob Morris.  In 2001 through 2003 the Colts hit home runs with Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Dallas Clark in succession.  In ’04 it was Bob Sanders followed by Marlin Jackson.

Joseph Addai came along in 2006 and Anthony Gonzalez in 2007. Mike Pollack was drafted in ’08 and Donald Brown in ’09.  While Brown hasn’t made a big contribution this year, third round pick Jerraud Powers has been a starter at cornerback most of the season.  We should also point out that Sanders and Pollak were actually second round picks, but were the teams first choice that year.

In the last fourteen seasons, the Colts have drafted 10 players with their top pick who you could say have made significant impact on their team. With Brown and even the injured Gonzalez it’s too early to judge what they’ll do long haul.  Oh yeah, they’ve also drafted possibly the best quarterback in NFL history.  That’s a pretty good percentage. Throw in finds such as Pierre Garcon with their 4th pick in the sixth round of 2008 and you can see why they’re consistently a threat to win the Super Bowl every year.

You want your team to go to the Super Bowl?  Hope they find a top caliber quarterback and learn how to consistently score with their top draft choices.  That’s been the Colts secret.