Over the coming weeks we will be taking a position-by-position look at the Indianapolis Colts roster heading into the offseason, with our lens more so on what’s ahead and what’s needed at each position group.
Up next is offensive tackle, but if you missed any of our other previews, follow the links below.
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
Interior offensive line
Offensive tackle overview
This time a year ago, the offensive line was thought to be a strength of the 2024 Colts team with all five starters from the 2023 season returning. However, injuries played a big factor in the up-and-down play we saw from the unit as a whole.
At the tackle position specifically, Bernhard Raimann would miss three games due to injuries and Braden Smith would appear in 12 games, missing the last several due to a personal matter.
This forced rookie Matt Goncalves to step in at both the right and left tackle positions as needed. Not surprisingly, as he got more experience, he started to settle in, but as is the also the case with most rookies, he battled some inconsistencies as well.
Overall, the offensive line play did improve in those final weeks as the Colts got more healthy, which included a 200-plus yard performance by Jonathan Taylor against Tennessee.
However, there was a stretch from Weeks 9-12–so a month–where outside of a 58 yard run by Taylor against Buffalo, he averaged just 2.9 yards per carry. Anthony Richardson was also among the most pressured quarterbacks in football from Weeks 11-16.
The offensive line woes certainly wasn’t the only thing the Colts’ offense had to navigate last season, but an inconsistent running game for stretches along with steady pressure on a young quarterback is going to make things more difficult.
Positional need this offseason
Tackle could end up being a pretty significant under-the-radar need for the Colts. We don’t know what the future holds for Smith, but the team would create $16.75 million in cap space if they were to move on from him.
In that instance, the Colts starting tackles are already on the roster in Raimann and Goncalves, but depth is a major concern with Blake Freeland as the only other option on the roster with any sort of NFL experience.
At a minimum, improved depth–whether that’s addressed in free agency or the draft–will be a must this offseason.
“I do think at the end of the year, the offensive line ended up playing better,” Chris Ballard said of the offensive line. “We had some young guys that had to play…We need to make sure we’ve got the right talent level. I’m pleased with how these young guys came along, but we gotta make sure we got enough depth there.”
Who are the top free agent options?
The Colts have $28.36 million in available cap space this offseason, which ranks as the 18th most. They do, however, have the ability to create quite a bit more room if needed.
With help from Over the Cap, here are the top available free agent options at the position this offseason:
Dan Moore Jr.
Ronnie Stanley
Cam Robinson
Patrick Mekari
Alaric Jackson
Cornelius Lucas
Dillon Radunz
Demontrey Jacobs
Mekhi Becton
Kelvin Beachum
Morgan Moses
Tyron Smith
Germain Ifedi
Kendall Lamm
What about the NFL draft?
The offensive line is very much a position that GM Chris Ballard has regularly prioritized in the draft. The potential difficult for the Colts is that they have just seven picks–one in each round–and quite a few positions they could justify adding to.
Here are the top tackle prospects, according to PFF’s big board:
Will Campbell, LSU
Josh Simmons, Ohio State
Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
Armand Membou, Missouri
Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
Cameron Williams, Texas
Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College
Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
Marcus Mbow, Purdue
Charles Grant, William & Mary
Anthony Belton, NC State
Jalen Rivers, Miami
Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Florida
Chase Lundt, UCONN
