The Indianapolis Colts had several opportunities to hedge at the quarterback position in the 2018 NFL draft. They could have selected a blue-chipper like Josh Allen or Josh Rosen sixth overall, they could have used either of their high second-round picks to move up for the enticing Lamar Jackson, and in that round they had four opportunities to draft intriguing second-tier quarterback prospect Mason Rudolph. 

They passed on every occasion.

The Colts ultimately added 11 players in the draft and are signing at least a dozen undrafted free agents. None play the quarterback position. 

Instead, they used two top-40 selections on physically marvelous interior offensive linemen Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith, both of whom appear ready to make an impact immediately. And they spent much of the rest of the draft shoring up the defensive front seven (two new defensive ends, three new linebackers) while also adding two running backs and two wide receivers.

It seemed the entire approach was designed to complement beset franchise quarterback Andrew Luck. At a time in which a lot of observers are understandably skeptical about Luck's future, the Colts sent a message to the football world that they're doubling down on the 2012 No. 1 overall pick. 

Actions speak louder than words

Luck, of course, didn't play in 2017 and hasn't thrown an NFL-sized football in over a year. He underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder early last offseason after fighting a nagging injury in that area for much of the previous two campaigns.

After starting his career with three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons, he wasn't the same in 2015 or 2016 before disappearing from the NFL landscape in 2017. The Colts are gambling that about 18 months of rehab will finally allow Luck to get his highly touted career back on track, and it's hard to criticize that approach. 

That's an odd feeling considering how many reasons the Colts gave us to criticize them last year. 

Indeed, we should continue to assess public comments from Colts brass with a "fool me twice, shame on me" mentality, because owner Jim Irsay spent much of the 2017 offseason reassuring fans that Luck would be good to go come the fall. 

It's unclear whether Irsay was deliberately attempting to deceive customers or merely expressing false optimism, but a tweet like this from 2017...

Has to cause you to take a comments like this from 2018 with a grain of salt...

Fans have been riding the organization's emotional roller coaster through the media ever since.  

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported earlier this offseason that doctors were concerned Luck could need more surgery, but Colts general manager Chris Ballard insisted that's not the case, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. 

We then heard from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that Luck was throwing weighted footballs, but then we were cautioned by Albert Breer of The MMQB that he's yet to throw "The Duke." And he did not throw at all during the team's veteran minicamp last week. 

Still, Ballard told ESPN.com's Mike Wells in March that he had no doubt Luck would be good to go for the start of the regular season, and Mike Chappell of CBS Indianapolis reported between the beginning of free agency and the draft that Irsay believed Luck had "turned the corner" in his rehab. 

If you have a hard time buying those words, you might instead want to read into the team's actions. While Holder reports they turned down multiple trade offers for backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett in March, they didn't touch any of the veteran quarterbacks on the free-agent market before ignoring every quarterback prospect in the draft. 

All about Andrew

This Colts offseason has essentially been dedicated to Luck, starting with their pursuit of quarterback specialist Josh McDaniels and eventual hiring of quarterback guru Frank Reich to replace Chuck Pagano as head coach. While mostly quiet in free agency, they got Luck another weapon and potential safety valve in tight end Eric Ebron while adding some experience to the offensive line with veteran guard Matt Slauson. And at the draft they strongly upgraded that oft-maligned front five by taking Nelson and Smith. 

There's still hope for oft-injured guard Jack Mewhort and center Ryan Kelly, both of whom are coming off campaigns that were derailed by injuries, which means a line that already has a solid left tackle in Anthony Castonzo has five quality options for the three interior spots. And they should at least have a heated competition between Joe Haeg and Denzelle Good at the right tackle spot, while one of the rookies might even be capable of kicking outside.  

If Luck is able to get back on the field in the fall, he'll be better protected than he was for most—if not all—of his first five NFL seasons, and he might also benefit from more offensive balance. The Colts were one of just six teams to average fewer than 3.8 yards per carry last season, but they added two backs on Day 3 of the draft. 

Fourth-rounder Nyheim Hines might have some Alvin Kamara in him, and he'll immediately bring an element of tantalizing speed to a backfield that often lacked that with Frank Gore atop the depth chart. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller called fifth-rounder Jordan Wilkins "one of the sleepers of the loaded running back class thanks to his size, vision and top-notch agility."

Somebody has to emerge, but the front office has at least introduced some exciting young talent to the running game with Hines, Wilkins and second-year fourth-round pick Marlon Mack. There's a fresh feel back there.

They also used a fifth-round pick on wide receiver Daurice Fountain, who Miller notes "bails out quarterbacks with contested catches in traffic," and spent a sixth-rounder on Deon Cain, who represents great value that low and might have the size, speed and experience coming out of Clemson to play a large role as a rookie.

Doubling down

The Colts might feel as though they don't have a choice here. There might be a sense of obligation to further build around a 28-year-old quarterback who is owed $76.9 million over the next three years. But it's the correct approach regardless of the rationale.

Indianapolis has lost a lot of ground to its AFC South opponents of late. It can't afford to bail on Luck right now, and it also can't afford to throw cash and/or draft picks at insurance policies. When you're a team that hasn't had a winning season since 2014 and you're putting all of your eggs in one star player's basket, every draft pick counts. 

Luck came into this league as the most promising quarterback prospect of the 21st century. He then made three Pro Bowls in three seasons and took the Colts to the 2014 AFC Championship Game. Giving up on him right now would be ludicrous, and sticking with him but also using capital on potential successors would be a half-measure that would only rob Luck of tangible and intangible support. 

The Colts aren't hoarding chips. If Luck is coming back, they're ensuring that he returns to a shed that is as fully equipped with as many sharp tools as possible. 

That's the only way to do it.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon