The Indianapolis Colts continue to make their run on the offensive side of the ball as they bring in some competition at the left tackle spot.
Chris Ballard turned in his third draft card of the night for Central Michigan OT Bernhard Raimann with the No. 77 overall pick.
The athletic tackle prospect offers the traits to develop into a starter and could be the answer that the team hopes to find as the replacement for Anthony Castonzo.
According to Next Gen Stats, he has earned the fifth-highest NGS score for all OT since 2003.
(Courtesy of Kent Lee Platte)
The theme of the Day 2 picks for the Colts is that all three players have great athleticism for their position which offers them a chance to develop into productive starters at the next level. Just like for wide receiver Alec Pierce (No. 53) and tight end Jelani Woods (No. 73), there isn’t a pressing need for Raimann to be the guy on opening day. But he certainly will be presented the opportunity in training camp.
Ballard stated earlier this offseason that Matt Pryor will have the first chance to be the starting left tackle. Pryor will likely enter OTAs as the penciled-in starter but Raimann should have a chance to push him for the job with a great training camp.
Protecting Matt Ryan’s blindside is very important and Raimann has the capability to do so. He offers solid pass blocking technique despite his limited experience at the position.
He will fit in well with what the Colts’ offensive line does in the run game. Raimann can be a mauler in the trenches and can feed off double-blocks with Quenton Nelson. He still has some work to do but if he can get coached up and hit his ceiling then Ballard might have found himself a franchise left tackle in the third round.
Raimann caps off the night for Indianapolis as another rookie that can help elevate the offense this season but also set them up for success in the future.