We are less than a week away from the 2022 NFL draft and teams are finalizing their strategy on how to attack this class to get the players that they want.
The Indianapolis Colts will be sitting around on the first night of the draft weekend unless Chris Ballard makes a move into the back of the first round between now and Day 1 of the weekend.
Even though they have to wait for their turn to be on the clock for the first time, the Colts don’t have an alarming need where they need to press to select a certain position over the best player available on their board.
With that being said, in my opinion, offensive tackle remains the biggest need for Indianapolis to figure out on the roster as the regular season approaches.
This time I take a look at the pros and cons of selecting a tackle with the first pick in the 2022 NFL draft:
Be sure to check out our pros and cons list for other positions as well:
Pro: Addressing Matt Ryan’s blindside protection
One of the biggest issues that Matt Ryan had to deal with towards the end of his tenure with the Atlanta Falcons was dealing with one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL protecting him.
Even though he’s not a complete statue and can move around to avoid the rush, he’s best served to be in a clean pocket to pick apart the defenses. Chris Ballard stated that Matt Pryor does get the first chance to win the starting gig but he only gave him a one-year deal so there isn’t a commitment that he will be the long-term solution that the team hopes to find since Anthony Castonzo’s retirement.
Ryan has a better pocket presence compared to Carson Wentz, but one of the issues in the 2021 season for the Colts was when the left tackle spot would get beat in passing situations. Those types of plays led to drives ending early or turnovers.
Story continues
Bringing in a rookie tackle with the first pick to compete with Pryor for the starting job can help elevate each player’s game and hopefully, that can lead to on-field success from…