Arguably the biggest position battle taking place at Indianapolis Colts training camp comes at the left tackle position where the team is keeping a close eye on who fits best at Matt Ryan’s blindside.
The competition officially got underway Wednesday when training camp started at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield between rookie third-round pick Bernhard Raimann and veteran swing tackle Matt Pryor.
While technique and production in team drills will be vital to the process, general manager Chris Ballard will be focusing on how each player gels with the rest of the offensive line.
“I always go back to the teamwork because one-on-one drills are great from a technique standpoint but they are going to get beat. You’re going to have bad days in one-on-one,” Ballard said Tuesday. “That’s just normal, but the teamwork. That’s when you want to see all five working together. Who fits the best? Who is working the best in the unit? All that plays in, so the teamwork is going to be big.”
As it currently stands, Pryor is getting the first crack at earning the starting job at left tackle. He ran with the first-team offense during the spring and opened up training camp Wednesday doing the same.
Raimann has a shot to take the job, though. He impressed during the spring practices and even though he has more to learn about the position after switching from tight end in 2020, he’s proven to be a quick learner.
The Colts are still searching for their long-term replacement for Anthony Castonzo and at least for the 2022 season, the winner of that role may be the one with the best chemistry.
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