The Indianapolis Colts selected Ball State offensive tackle Danny Pinter in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Colts quickly shifted Pinter to the interior, and he has seemingly found a home as the reserve center on the team.
In his first year with the Colts, Pinter made one start and played a total of 104 offensive snaps. As he prepares for his second year in the league, he has been receiving snaps with the first-team offense due to the injury to starter Ryan Kelly.
Here is what Pinter had to say about the extra work he has seen this offseason:
You never want to see a guy go down and Ryan (Kelly) will be all right and he’ll be back. But it’s a great opportunity that I just try to take advantage of. You get a chance to go against a guy like Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner all day, it’s only going to make you better. It’s just something we’re trying to run with and I think I’ve gotten a little bit better each day which is always my goal.
Pinter has seen a noticeable growth in his game, and he attributes a lot of that to his coaches and the guidance he has received from Kelly.
"I have great older guys ahead of me. I have Ryan (Kelly) who I think is the best center in the game and he’s been awesome." said Pinter. "He’s taken me under his wing and really has gone out of his way to help me out. I can’t thank him enough for that and I’m still learning stuff from him."
Pinter is a superb athlete who played well in limited snaps as a rookie. If he has taken that next step and improved on some of his deficiencies, then he could be in for a big year if forced to play.
He is an outstanding athlete on film with the tools to be an excellent center in the NFL. When he had to step into action in week 12 last season, he was able to execute many of the same blocking assignments asked of Kelly in the run game.
"(My athleticism) helps (in) zone schemes and that sort of thing – get out and moving and obviously we prioritize athleticism here for sure." said Pinter. "So I think it fits well in our scheme and it helps you take those next steps and that sort of thing whether it be blocking, pass-pro, that sort of thing. It certainly factors in."
Pinter is a talented and athletic player who could be a potential starter in this offense. While it is unfortunate that Kelly is down with an injury, it is a good thing that Pinter is seeing these snaps with the first-team offense.
Hopefully he is able to put together a few strong preseason games on top of the promising offseason he has had thus far.
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