Bleacher Report Tabs Colts' Bernhard Raimann As Team's 'Biggest Steal' In 2022 NFL Draft
It's a bit too early to label a player drafted just one week ago as a steal or a reach overall, but that's exactly what happens each and every year in the never-ending cycle that is the NFL landscape.
Despite not having a first-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft due to the Carson Wentz trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Indianapolis Colts and General Manager Chris Ballard had a nice haul overall, landing four potential impact players on Day 2, while adding some intriguing depth overall on Day 3.
One of those players selected on Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft happens to be the player tabbed as the Colts' "biggest steal" by Bleacher Report's Alex Kay. That player? Offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann.
"The Colts have been desperately trying to unearth a viable replacement for longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo following his retirement at the end of the 2020 campaign. Despite lacking a first-round pick this year, Indianapolis may still have found an anchor who can protect the quarterback's blind side for the foreseeable future," Kay writes. "The team picked up Bernhard Raimann at No. 77 overall, a shocking place for the Central Michigan product to land. Give the Central Michigan product's status as the top remaining tackle after Day 1, it would have been considered a steal to get him early in the second round. Landing him in the third round was an incredible bargain.
"Raimann is a hulking 6'6", 303-pound tackle who spent the last two years pulverizing opponents in the Chippewas' zone-based blocking scheme. Although the Austrian native is relatively new to the game, he's shown some serious skill and has a surprisingly polished skill set."
Throughout much of the pre-draft process that included his stint at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL and at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Raimann was considered by many as a first-round caliber offensive tackle.
The fact that he fell all the way to No. 77 overall remains stunning a week later, but the Colts were glad to scoop up the intriguing trench player to pair him alongside All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson, should offensive line coaches Chris Strausser and Kevin Mawae be able to develop him at a rapid pace.
Getting a potential bookend left tackle in the third round would be incredible value for the Colts overall, allowing them to save some money overall in the trenches on the offensive line moving forward for the foreseeable future.
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