Where Colts’ offensive line competitions stand at center, right guard 

A year ago, the Colts used their third- and fourth-round draft picks to add a pair of offensive linemen in Pitt’s Matt Goncalves and Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini. Neither player had a path to starting as a rookie, not with a rock-solid and entrenched starting five of Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Braden Smith ahead of them.

But the Colts’ additions of Goncalves and Bortolini last year were a prime example of a tried-and-true piece of draft analysis: Your needs today are not your needs tomorrow.

Goncalves (eight starts at left and right tackle) and Bortolini (five starts at center) were needed quite a bit as rookies, as it turns out – another check mark in the box of “you can never have too many offensive linemen.” But with Kelly and Fries signing with the Minnesota Vikings as free agents this spring, Goncalves and Bortolini will each have an opportunity to compete to start on the Colts’ offensive line in 2025 at right guard and center, respectively.

For offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr., though, his view of those two second-year players isn’t different than what it was a year ago, when he knew he had to get both ready to play if needed.

“My job is to develop all the players that are here and to help them become the best players they can be,” Sparano said. “… Whether a guy’s a starter or a primary backup to begin the season, to me, they’re one in the same because at som point, a lot of those backups wind up having to start.”

The Colts are moving Goncalves to right guard after he played all but one of his 564 rookie-year snaps at left tackle (230) and right tackle (333). While Goncalves exclusively played tackle in college at Pitt, the Colts drafted him in 2024 with the thought he could play either tackle or guard in the NFL.

As a rookie, Goncalves saw snaps in practice at every offensive line position except center, as Sparano prepared him to step in if needed at either guard or…