Even though the Indianapolis Colts are returning the entire offensive line, including the starting five, one NFL analyst believes there could be a shake-up in the works.
As a part of his preseason All-Rookie Team for the 2024 season, Chad Reuter of NFL.com believes the Colts will have a competition at right guard.
Included in that competition, Reuter believes, will be fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini taking on incumbent starter Will Fries.
“He might take over for long-time starting center Ryan Kelly in the future, but don’t be surprised if he gives veteran Will Fries a battle for the right guard spot,” Reuter wrote.
The Colts did draft Bortolini with the intention of figuring out whether he could take over Kelly as the anchor of the offensive line in the future.
With that said, Bortolini is the ultimate versatile piece to have on an offensive line. Across his 28 starts at Wisconsin, he had 13 starts at center, eight starts at left guard, three starts at right guard and three starts at right tackle, per Dane Brugler’s Draft Guide. The other start was listed at tight end.
Bortolini is an excellent mover with elite athleticism and a high football IQ. Measuring in at 303 pounds, the Colts might want him to add bit more weight — something left tackle Bernhard Raimann has successfully done during his first two NFL seasons.
Fries should be considered the favorite to be the right guard entering training camp. It would take a pretty big showing for Bortolini to win the job outright. The continuity aspect should be taken into consideration also as long as that doesn’t outweigh performance on the field.
Bortolini will wind up being a strong pick for the Colts if he serves as a viable center in the future. Anything before that would just be a bonus for Indy.
