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Colts' O-Line Gets Top-10 Honor
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- Colts' O-Line Gets Top-10 Honor
(Kevin Ng-Imagn Images)
Indianapolis Colts LG Quenton Nelson is entering the final year of his contract, but is letting his agent and the Colts' front office worry about it. (video via Jake Arthur/ColtsRoundtable)
The Indianapolis Colts' offense got off to a torrid start last season before a litany of factors set in and led to the team's second-half collapse.
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Ultimately, they finished second in the league in rushing touchdowns (27) and tied for 10th in yards per carry (4.5).
One of the things that started out well was the offensive line. Led by stalwarts Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith , and Bernhard Raimann , new starters Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves integrated into the starting lineup seamlessly. The Colts now must replace right tackle Braden Smith, who left in free agency. However, his replacement, Jalen Travis , started the final four games of the season.
Jacob Camenker of USA Today recently set out to rank each NFL offensive line , and the Colts received a top-10 ranking, coming in at No. 8.
"Long-time right tackle Braden Smith joined the Texans during the offseason. As a result, the Colts figure to rely on Travis, a 2025 fourth-round pick, to replace him," Camenker wrote.
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"While Travis is an unknown, the left side of the Colts' offensive line is rock-solid. Neson and Bortolini were both graded as top-five players at their positions by Pro Football Focus, while Raimann measured third in ESPN's run block win rate metric last season. Their strength should anchor Indianapolis' unit and give Jonathan Taylor a chance to build upon his stellar 2025 campaign."
READ MORE: Pundit Predicts Colts' Breakdown in New Power Rankings
Raimann returns for his fourth consecutive season as the Colts' full-time left tackle after inking a $100 million extension last summer. According to Pro Football Focus , he ranked 12th in the NFL overall among tackles with a grade of 82.0. He had some momentary lapses, accumulating eight sacks allowed and eight penalties, but his overall numbers in pass protection (78.9) and run blocking (78.7) were solid, both ranking inside the top 20 among tackles.
Nelson is coming off a season in which he was named a Pro Bowler, Second-Team All-Pro, and the No. 99 player in the NFL Top 100. He allowed just one sack — the fifth time in his career he's allowed one or fewer — and tied career bests in pressures allowed (15) and pass-block efficiency (98.7). He also had his fewest penalties in a season (2).
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Bortolini was PFF's third-ranked center in the NFL last year with a grade of 82.6, trailing only Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs and Aaron Brewer of the Miami Dolphins . Bortolini allowed no sacks and 17 pressures overall, quickly ascending toward being one of the NFL's elite young interior linemen.
Goncalves transitioned to playing guard for the first time in his football career last year and did it at a starting level. He ranked 29th among all guards and allowed two sacks and 34 pressures. While there is plenty of room to improve, the Colts are encouraged about where he is in his development.
The newcomer of the group, Travis, made a strong impression last year as a rookie. He ranked fourth among rookie tackles with a grade of 72.2, per PFF. He was one of only three rookie tackles to allow one or zero sacks, and he played more snaps than the other two. He now moves into being the Colts' full-time right tackle.
