With the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select Andrew Luck…

Let the over-analyzing, criticism, skepticism, and stat scrutiny begin.

Look, we all know Luck has big shoes to fill.   Peyton Manning is a future Hall of Famer and considered by many to be among the top-five quarterbacks in NFL history. 

However, it’s beyond unfair to compare Luck’s first year in Indianapolis with Peyton in his prime, or with the numbers Peyton puts up this season with the Broncos.

Luck will lose that battle every time. 

If you’re going to play the comparison game, it would make more sense to compare Luck’s rookie numbers to Peyton’s rookie numbers:

3,739 passing yards.

26 touchdowns.

28 interceptions.

3 wins.

Solid numbers…but a far smaller shadow cast over Luck than if we were to post Peyton’s finer seasons.

In all honesty though, the comparison games makes little sense…especially when you consider the differences in personnel.  In 1998 Manning had Marshall Faulk to hand the football off to, a 26-year old Marvin Harrison to throw the football to, and a solid offensive line that gave up 22 sacks all season.

As it stands today, Luck will have Donald Brown to hand the football off to, a 34 year old Reggie Wayne to throw the football to, and if I offered you $100 to name the five guys projected to start on the offensive line for the Colts…you couldn’t do it.

So comparisons are simply for water cooler/message board fodder.

The Ryan Grigson and the Colts franchise have their work cut out for them.  They’ll entertain the idea of moving up for an additional first round pick (Coby Fleener perhaps?), and reports are re-surfacing that the team could deal Pro-Bowler Dwight Freeney for a mid/late-round draft pick.  This team has a lot of holes:  defensive linemen, a solid wide receiver to pair opposite Reggie Wayne, offensive line depth, linebacker depth, and a CORNERBACK!!!!! (I actually would have saved space by outlining the positions the Colts are stacked at…)

But at the end of the day it’s an exciting time for the franchise.  A fresh start…a new beginning.  There will be bumps along the way, and that’s expected for a rebuilding team.  Just don’t allow yourself (or your fellow Colts fans) to get sucked into comparing the Colts new franchise quarterback with our old friend…now with the Broncos.

Let’s let Luck be Luck…