Colts’ Offensive Line is Backbone of 7-1 Powerhouse

Among linemen to play 275 snaps or more this season, All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson currently ranks second in the league in offensive rating according to Pro Football Focus. Not far behind ranks Colts center Tanor Bortolini at sixth-best in his first season as a full-time starter, and fourth-year left tackle Bernhard Raimann currently sits at 12th.

Three of the league's 12 highest-graded linemen play in Indianapolis. To put this into perspective, no other team has more than two linemen ranked in the top 30.

"I keep going back to the o-line," head coach Shane Steichen said. "Those guys, the holes they're creating, when you watch the tape and you watch the coaches copy, I mean, it's as impressive as it gets."

All five of the Colts' starting linemen were drafted by the team, with only Nelson being a first-round pick.

For many teams, the departure of a nine-year center like Ryan Kelly could handicap a team beyond recovery. Additionally, losing a league-best right guard like Will Fries in the same offseason makes avoiding a drop-off in play sound impossible. Third and fourth round draft picks Matt Goncalves and Tanor Bortolini have managed just fine.

Offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. joined Shane Steichen's coaching staff upon Steichen's hire in 2023. Sparano became a full-time offensive line coach for the first time in his career. Players like Goncalves and Bortolini have proven to be gems, but really, any player taken after the second round has wrinkles that teams hope their staff can iron out. Confidence in player development is key.

Left tackle Bernhard Raimann was a third-round pick in 2022, and after just one season with Sparano, he jumped from the 25th-ranked tackle in 2022 to the seventh in 2023, per PFF. He received a four-year, $100 million extension this past offseason.

Right guard Matt Goncalves appeared in all 17 games last season, starting in five games at right tackle and three at left tackle. Transitioning from a career tackle into the team's starting right guard this season has managed to feel seamless, and Goncalves is one of eleven guards yet to allow a sack this season (minimum of 275 snaps).

Bortolini saw action in 12 games last season, including five starts at center in place of an injured Ryan Kelly. Despite learning protections from two separate quarterbacks all offseason, Bortolini's 82.7 offensive grade through eight weeks is the second best among all centers. It's a vast improvement over Kelly's grade of 67.0 across the same span last season, per PFF.

Earning league-best production from players once viewed as too developmental to be day one selections is a testament to Sparano's ability to aid the maturation of the entire unit.

Even right tackle Braden Smith, who was drafted on day two in the same year the team took Quenton Nelson, has rebounded from a tough 2024 season to remain one of ten tackles yet to allow a sack through eight weeks.

Quietly complementing the unit is first-round pick Tyler Warren, who currently leads the team in receiving yards while also posting the best pass blocking grade by any tight end in the league, according to PFF.

Additionally, tight ends Andrew Ogletree and Mo-Alie Cox come in as the fourth and fifth-best pass-blocking tight ends in football, which is a massive improvement at a position many deemed the worst on the team following last season.

The Colts' homegrown line is part of a larger theme the team has strived for since Chris Ballard was hired in 2017. Ten of the team's eleven offensive starters were drafted by the team, with the only external acquisition being quarterback Daniel Jones, who's quarterbacking the team to 3.46 points per drive this season. That mark would be the best of any NFL offense in the past century.

An excellent preparation plan in the 2024 draft by Chris Ballard, coupled with elite player development by Tony Sparano Jr., has given the Colts the offensive line play needed to climb over the hump of mediocrity that has plagued the team since Andrew Luck's retirement. If the Colts keep up this quality of play, there won't be a defense in the league that can slow them down.