The 2025 NFL Combine kicks off this upcoming week. So let’s preview the event through the Indianapolis Colts’ lens and take a look at the offensive line unit.
For a deeper dive into the combine specifically and what you need to know from the Colts’ perspective, click here.
To preview other position groups, follow the links below:
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
What’s the need for the Colts along the offensive line?
The degree to which the Colts have to add to the offensive line is all dependent upon this question: does right guard Will Fries return in free agency?
If the answer is yes, then the need is a secondary one. In this instance, with Fries, Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, and Matt Goncalves, the Colts’ starting five for the 2025 season is likely already on the roster.
However, depth would still be a need with Ryan Kelly, Danny Pinter, and Mark Glowinski all free agents, and Braden Smith a potential cut candidate.
On the flip side, if the answer to the above question is no, then offensive line becomes a major need for the Colts. Without Fries on the roster, the Colts’ current starting right guard options are Dalton Tucker, Josh Sills, or Atonio Mafi.
The Colts’ 2024 offensive line unit was supposed to be a strength of this team, but injuries zapped some of that potential. Not surprisingly, as this unit got healthier, the play improved at the end of the year.
But before that, there was a month-long stretch from Weeks 9-12 where Jonathan Taylor averaged just 2.9 yards per carry if we take his big 58-yard run against Buffalo out of the equation. Anthony Richardson was also one of the most pressured quarterbacks in football from Weeks 11-16.
“I do think at the end of the year, the offensive line ended up playing better,” Ballard said. “We had some young guys that had to play…We need to make sure we’ve got the right talent level. I’m pleased with how these young guys came along, but we gotta make sure we got enough depth there.”
Naturally, all eyes will be on Richardson and his play, but putting him in a position to be successful starts with sound play up front.
What does the Colts current offensive line depth chart look like?
Quenton Nelson
Braden Smith
Bernhard Raimann
Matt Goncalves
Blake Freeland
Tanor Bortolini
Josh Sills
Atonio Mafi
Dalton Tucker
Jack Wilson
Relative Athletic Scores of past offensive line draft picks for Colts
The RAS formula–which was created by Kent Lee Platte–takes all of the measurements from the NFL Combine and Pro Days and converts them into an easily comparable figure that ranges from 0 to 10. On the RAS scale, 5.0 is considered average, with 8.0 or higher being in the top 20 percentile of the position group from an athleticism standpoint. The higher the RAS, the better the athlete.
Bernhard Raimann: 9.88
Blake Freeland: 9.84
Jake Witt: 9.80
Braden Smith: 9.33
Jackson Barton: 8.25
Matt Goncalves: 7.69
Zach Banner: 1.42
Tanor Bortolini: 9.77
Quenton Nelson: 9.68
Danny Pinter: 9.61
Will Fries: 9.15
Javon Patterson: 7.22
Which offensive linemen were invited to the NFL combine?
Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
Anthony Belton, N.C. State
Tyler Booker, Alabama
Logan Brown, Kansas
Will Campbell, LSU
Connor Colby, Iowa
Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
Hayden Conner, Texas
Ajani Cornelius, Oregon
Eli Cox, Kentucky
Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Florida
Garrett Dellinger, LSU
Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
Dylan Fairchild, Georgia
Miles Frazier, LSU
Charles Grant, William & Mary
Joshua Gray, Oregon State
Myles Hinton, Michigan
Joe Huber, Wisconsin
Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
Emery Jones Jr., LSU
Luke Kandra, Cincinnati
Drew Kendall, Boston College
Chase Lundt, Connecticut
Jake Majors, Texas
Marcus Mbow, Purdue
Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State
Armand Membou, Missouri
Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
Jonah Monheim, USC
Jack Nelson, Wisconsin
Hollin Pierce, Rutgers
Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Jalen Rivers, Miami
Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech
Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
Josh Simmons, Ohio State
Torricelli Simpkins III, South Carolina
Jackson Slater, Sacramento State
Marcus Tate, Clemson
Branson Taylor, Pittsburgh
Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College
Jalen Travis, Iowa State
Xavier Truss, Georgia
Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M
Clay Webb, Jacksonville State
Cameron Williams, Texas
John Williams, Cincinnati
Jared Wilson, Georgia
Grey Zabel, North Dakota State