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INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts ended their 3 picks on Day 2 of the draft by taking yet another need.

With the 77th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Colts took Central Michigan offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann in Round Three .

Here are 3 takeaways on Raimann:

 

Athletic Offensive Tackle

Honestly, you could find some mock drafts out there that had Bernhard Raimann sneaking into the late part of Round 1, or certainly Round 2. Some combination of Raimann’s age (turns 25 years old in September) and having shorter than average arms compared to most offensive tackles probably sent Raimann falling a bit. From a fundamental and athletic standpoint though, Raimann checks those boxes. A college tight end initially, Raimann transitioned to left tackle for his final two seasons (18 starts) at Central Michigan, allowing just one sack in his career. Raimann put on more than 50 pounds to grow into a collegiate tackle, with high praise for his work ethic. Raimann is a native of Austria, moving to the states at the age of 17.

 

2022 Role?

Even if Raimann isn’t viewed as a starter in 2022 (Matt Pryor will get the first crack at left tackle), he might be the team’s 6th offensive lineman. Depth in the trenches was a concern entering this draft, so Raimann should help out in that area. You don’t have to remind Chris Ballard what offensive line depth means. If the Colts just have normal offensive line attrition this fall, it’s possible Raimann will be needed to start several games in 2022. It’ll be interesting to see how ‘open’ the Colts make the left tackle competition between Pryor (2 career starts) and Raimann.

 

Finally, A Tackle

Such a premium position has largely been ignored by the Colts in the Chris Ballard drafting era. It gets attention in 2022, which makes plenty of sense. From a quantity and quality standpoint, the Colts are lacking at the offensive tackle position. Left tackle specifically is a spot where starters are quite often found early in drafts. So getting one is a needed move, especially when you look at the lack of LT experience for current starter Matt Pryor. You have to go back to Zach Banner in Round 4 of the 2017 Draft to find Chris Ballard taking a tackle in the first 200 picks of a draft (Braden Smith was originally drafted to be a guard).

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