The Indianapolis Colts waited until the third round of the 2022 NFL draft to select an offensive tackle, but it turns out many analysts believe he should have gone much earlier than that.
Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann is still learning the position after making a switch from tight end to left tackle in 2020, but he’s quickly picking up the nuances that come with protecting the blindside.
Most draft analysts saw Raimann as a late first-round pick or a mid second-rounder at worst. The Colts got him in the middle of the third round at No. 77 overall.
Because of that, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report named that the best value pick for the Colts in the draft.
B/R Rank: No. 28
The Colts have been desperately trying to unearth a viable replacement for longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo following his retirement at the end of the 2020 campaign. Despite lacking a first-round pick this year, Indianapolis may still have found an anchor who can protect the quarterback’s blind side for the foreseeable future.
The team picked up Bernhard Raimann at No. 77 overall, a shocking place for the Central Michigan product to land.
Give the Central Michigan product’s status as the top remaining tackle after Day 1, it would have been considered a steal to get him early in the second round. Landing him in the third round was an incredible bargain.
Raimann is a hulking 6’6″, 303-pound tackle who spent the last two years pulverizing opponents in the Chippewas’ zone-based blocking scheme. Although the Austrian native is relatively new to the game, he’s shown some serious skill and has a surprisingly polished skill set.
The offensive tackle likely slipped due to his age—he’ll turn 25 early in the upcoming season—and inexperience (18 career starts at left tackle). Still, falling all the way into the third round is head-scratching given Raimann’s athleticism and talents.
Raimann is now with a team that could utilize his talents right away. He’ll get a real shot at earning the starting left tackle job over Matt Pryor, linking up with guard Quenton Nelson to create a formidable tandem on the left side of Indy’s line for years to come.
Raimann should compete for the starting left tackle role right away with Matt Pryor, who was signed on a one-year deal this offseason and will get the first shot at the job, according to general manager Chris Ballard.
It will be interesting to see how quickly he can push Pryor for the job, but he’s certainly viewed as a steal in the eyes of many.
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