When Day 3 of the 2020 NFL draft came around, the Indianapolis Colts were expected to be a busy team. Wheeling and dealing their way through the final day of the weekend event, the Colts had eyes for one player in particular: Ball State offensive lineman Danny Pinter.
After making the selection of quarterback Jacob Eason with their fourth-round pick, general manager Chris Ballard tried moving up in the order to grab Pinter for roughly 30 minutes to no avail.
But when the 149th pick came around, Pinter was still on the board. Ballard was elated.
“I love Danny (Pinter), I’m not going to lie to y’all. Actually, we were trying move up to get him,” Ballard told reporters after the draft. “I probably won’t ever give y’all this much insight, but for like 30 minutes we were trying to move up and just couldn’t get up to get him.”
Pinter comes from the local Ball State where he began his career as a tight end. Before the 2018 season, he added 50 pounds to his frame in order to make the move to right tackle, where he spent his final two collegiate seasons as a starter.
Despite adding all that weight, Pinter kept his strong skill movements from his days as a tight end. He’s one of the most athletic offensive linemen to come out of the draft and even though his arm length is a bit of a concern, he’s a fantastic Day 3 pick for the Colts.
“(The) first exposure for me was at the NFLPA game. That’s where I got sick and then coming back he has an unbelievable workout at the combine,” Ballard said. “Then we continued to study him. Now answering your question, I mean do I think he can play some tackle? Yes, but center/guard is where I think he’s going to make his hay in the league.”
Then there comes the character of Pinter, which is a big deal in the eyes of Ballard when it comes to any player they consider.
“And you want to talk about character? Believe me, this guy’s got blue character and he fits our culture,” Ballard said. “He has the traits we look for in offensive linemen.”
Pinter will likely add depth to the interior while he develops potentially into a starter down the road.
Regardless, the Colts were enamored by the Ball State product and feel he has a chance to make a real impact on the roster.