Colts’ undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker has not only grabbed the attention of the coaching staff this summer, but Ryan Kelly has taken notice as well.
“Tucker did such a great job of being a great, accountable guy in the room,” said Kelly after Sunday’s practice. “He brought some character. Obviously got a little Kentucky twang to him. So he became a fan favorite pretty quickly.”
Despite joining a Colts’ offensive line room with a number of established veterans and two incoming draft picks, Tucker has put himself in a position to make the 53-man roster.
In all three preseason games, Tucker was with the second team offense. In the first two games he was at right guard and then played left guard against Cincinnati.
In those contests, Tucker would surrender only two pressures, including no sacks, over 92 pass-blocking snaps. Out of 40 eligible guards, Tucker would rank 12th this preseason in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric.
“I think what he showed in the last couple of games is how versatile he can be,” added Kelly. “I mean, Tony’s (Sparano) going to stress those guys that are bubble to backups, right? You can’t have 10 guys dressing on Sunday, so you’ve got to be able to play positions on both sides, center, tackle.”
If the Colts choose to roster nine offensive linemen, then there is likely just one spot up for grabs. Presumably this will go to either Tucker or Danny Pinter.
What Tucker has in his favor is the upside and potential that every team hopes to unlock in their rookies. For Pinter, his advantage lies in his experience, particularly at center, where the Colts could need backup help if Tanor Bortolini’s injury is going to linger into the season.
Tucker would only play guard during the preseason and didn’t take any snaps at center while in college.
It’s also possible that the Colts could go heavy along the offensive line and roster 10 players. This option seems a bit more likely with the team recently releasing Ronnie Harrison, an indication that they are going to go lighter at the safety position.
“I think he’s done a great job of just transitioning, playing hard, being accountable for his team and getting better and that’s all you can ask for,” Kelly said.
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— TheColtsWire (@TheColtsWire) August 26, 2024
