With their first pick, they selected wide receiver Reggie Wayne from Miami, who they hope will fill the number two slot behind Marvin Harrison. Wayne is a polished receiver with good size and dependable hands, and he could be the final weapon Peyton Manning needs to make this already-great offense explode. The Colts also signed ex-Redskin Mark Rypien to compete with Billy Joe Hobert for the backup quarterback duties.

Edgerrin James will continue to run all over the NFL, and the addition of massive fullback Wes Ours (West Virginia) can't hurt. Incumbent Jim Finn has done a fine job for the Colts, but Ours weighs in at 284 pounds and has fantastic speed for a man his size. He also has very good hands and is a load to bring down once he gets the ball out in the flat.

Indianapolis stocked up on young defensive backs by selecting four of them in the draft. They picked up safeties Idrees Bashir (Memphis), Corey Bird (Virginia Tech), and Jason Doering (Wisconsin), along with cornerback Raymond Walls (Southern Mississippi). The Colts are very high on Doering, and he has been impressive in training camp so far.

Among the names that are gone on defense are linebacker Cornelius Bennett and cornerback Tyrone Poole. Defensive end Mark Thomas was released, but then re-signed when troubled defensive end Shawn King decided to retire. The Colts also brought in free agent defensive tackle Christian Peter and linebacker Mike Morton. Peter should help plug a porous run defense. The Colts are also counting on second-year players Rob Morris and Marcus Washington to make big contributions this year.

Overview

The Colts should have one of the best offenses in the league, and if Wayne becomes a dependable option, they could become a very explosive offense. The defense will be improved, making Indianapolis a very dangerous team, and a legitimate Super Bowl contender.