NFL Mock Draft 2018: Complete first round after Week 13
player. 46. . OT. Texas. Connor Williams. 5
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was a godsend. The one year in ages that Indianapolis was not good they had the elite passer fall into their laps. Luck has been as good as advertised, but that didn’t matter in 2017. Luck missed the entire season due to injury.
The Colts aren’t punting on their franchise quarterback, rather they’ll go all in with the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Texas offensive tackle Connor Williams will be an excellent fit to protect Luck’s blind side and give the often-hit quarterback some semblance of hope.
Williams battled through injuries of his own in 2017. The star left tackle suffered a meniscus tear, MCL and PCL sprain in the Longhorns’ loss to USC. After spending the bulk of the season recovering, Williams rejoined the starting lineup against West Virginia and made his presence felt immediately.
Head coach Tom Herman summed it up rather succinctly, “Yeah, our guy can block that guy and he’s going to win more times than he doesn’t.” He’s a grinder in the trenches and the perfect safety blanket to keep an already brittle quarterback from winding up on injured reserve again.