With only one practice and one preseason game remaining, Colts’ undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker has made a strong push for the 53-man roster up to this point in training camp.
Through two preseason games, Tucker has seen all of his work come as the right guard with the second offensive line unit. Against Denver and Arizona, Tucker has been on the field for 117 snaps and has been particularly excellent in pass protection, using his length and power to his advantage, allowing just one pressure in 65 pass-blocking snaps.
For what it’s worth, Tucker is listed as the team’s backup right guard on their latest unofficial depth chart.
Tucker signed with the Colts following this past April’s draft after spending his college career at Marshall. Coming out of college, Tucker was an experienced player with almost 2,300 total snaps, which include almost 600 snaps at tackle, although he will strictly be an interior player with the Colts.
In 2023, Tucker ranked 51st out of 200 eligible guards in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric and 97th in run-blocking grade.
Although Tucker joined what is a crowded Colts’ offensive line room that is returning all five starters from the 2023 season, he has carved out a role up to this point as Will Fries’ backup, and has taken every opportunity to learn from the veterans in front of him on the depth chart.
“I don’t want to disappoint anybody, play the best game possible and play up to their standards, because they’re here for a reason,” said Tucker via Colts.com. “They’ve been here for a reason. They know what they’re doing. To learn from these guys has been amazing.”
If the Colts roster nine offensive linemen, a standard number across the NFL, then there may only be one roster spot up for grabs. Primarily competing with Tucker for that spot is Danny Pinter, who has played both left guard and center with the second team offense.
While Pinter’s experience can be valuable and he is versatile, able to play all three interior positions, with Tanor Bortolini emerging as the team’s backup center behind Ryan Kelly, Tucker’s upside and potential as an incoming rookie who has impressed may be what sets him apart in this competition.