The Indianapolis Colts desperately need to improve the pass rush, but nothing matters more right now than keeping Andrew Luck healthy. In order to do so, the Colts must find ways to lighten his workload—something that can be achieved with a single selection at No. 3 overall.
With that goal established, it would behoove the Colts to select running back Saquon Barkley and thus enable Luck to split the workload with a potentially elite playmaker.
I wouldn’t normally justify selecting a running back in the top five, but Barkley is the best talent in this draft class. He can run between the tackles, bounce outside the hash marks, line up in the slot, and make his mark in the return game.
With the ability to play all three downs on offense and even contribute on special teams, Barkley would alleviate a significant amount of pressure from Luck.
With Barkley at running back and T.Y. Hilton at wide receiver, Indianapolis’ offense would become significantly less predictable. That would make it more difficult to bring the blitz, as Barkley is just as much of a threat to bounce outside or end up in the flat as he is to split the guard and center.
There’s no way to guarantee they’d achieve this status and notoriety, but giving Luck a version of Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown would make the game considerably easier to manage.