Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan was likely grinning from eat to ear while watching the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.
As the 36-year-old prepares for his first season with the Colts, he watched his team spend three of its four Day 2 picks on offensive players. Two of them came in the form of athletic playmakers in wide receiver Alec Pierce and tight end Jelani Woods.
The other came in the form of his potential starting left tackle in Bernhard Raimann out of Central Michigan.
Those three picks are the main reason why Draft Wire dubbed Ryan as one of the draft’s biggest winners over the weekend.
Many wondered if the Colts would spend an early pick on Matt Ryan’s eventual successor, especially as the top quarterbacks tumbled down the board, a development that could be a huge win for a team without a first-round pick. Instead, Indy spent their top selections to make sure Ryan has everything he needs to succeed in the short-term, and they nailed them all.
Alec Pierce and Jelani Woods are both athletic playmakers with tons of potential, while Bernhard Raimann could be their Week 1 starter at left tackle as a third-round pick. The Colts filled the biggest needs around Ryan with players who could make an immediate and significant impact, passing on the chance to take his replacement instead.
It will be interesting to see how the offensive depth chart will shake out after the undrafted rookies are signed and the workouts get underway. But Ryan now has a very high-upside group of playmakers around him.
Not only that, his receiving corps got a big upgrade—emphasis on the word big. With Michael Pittman Jr. (6’4″), Alec Pierce (6’3″), Mo Alie-Cox (6’5″), Jelani Woods (6’7″), Dezmon Patmon (6’4″) and Mike Strachan (6’5″), the Colts literally have a massive receiving corps.
The Colts offense has a lot of potential in the passing game following the draft, and the offseason battles should be fun to keep up with when the season gets near.
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