Colts' Bernhard Raimann Takes Massive Step Forward in 2023
The Indianapolis Colts fell just short of the playoffs in 2023, finishing with a 9-8 record and as the third place team in the AFC South. While the end result was disappointing, there is a lot to be optimistic about with this Colts' team.
The Colts took a major step forward from the 4-12-1 disaster of 2022 and rookie Head Coach Shane Steichen showcased his ability as one of the top offensive play-callers in the entire league.
With the Colts making positive strides this year, this series will highlight a few players that stood out in the 2023 season. The next man up in this series will be starting left tackle Benhard Raimann, a second-year player that emerged as a plus starter for the offense early in the season.
Development is Key
The Colts selected Raimann with the 77th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. Raimann was an interesting prospect considering the fact that he was 25 years old when he was selected, but he was also relatively inexperienced at the tackle position. He entered the NFL with only 18 career starts at left tackle at the collegiate level.
Regardless of those potential concerns, the Colts decided to swing on athletic upside with Raimann. He began the season as the team's swing tackle behind starter Matt Pryor but supplanted the veteran as the full time starter in week nine. The early returns on the rookie were rather concerning, as Raimann struggled mightily with pressures and penalties in his first few starts.
The young starter was able to hone it in down the stretch though, as he carried some momentum into the 2023 offseason. The Colts gave Raimann the full vote of confidence heading into the next season, and Raimann made it his goal to better himself as the team's starting left tackle.
Raimann came into training camp nearly 15 pounds heavier in order to combat the power and strength he was seeing at the NFL level.
That addition of muscle paid major dividends in 2023, as Raimann cleaned up his biggest concerns as a rookie (anchoring ability and play strength) seemingly overnight. The once-struggling rookie emerged in 2023 as one of the team's more reliable offensive linemen.
Raimann finished as one of the highest graded left tackles in football according to Pro Football Focus this season, and he graded favorably as both a run blocker and as a pass blocker.
The biggest change that I saw on film with Raimann was simply the play strength. He was often overpowered at the point of attack as a rookie, but this year he had much more confidence and power in his play. He learned how to properly absorb rushers in the pass game and how to fend off the strength he was seeing in the NFL.
This improvement led to a season that didn't feature many flashy reps in pass protection, but the young starter simply got the job done. He was hitting his landmarks with ease and absorbing rushes that typically blew by him as a rookie. This steady improvement led to a massive rise in the floor that Raimann has as a starter:
Raimann's overall technique could still stand to improve, but he did begin to show development in this area as the season went along. He started to perfect the craft of reloading his hands late in the season, which is something that has been taught for years by Tony Sparano Jr. (the Colts' current offensive line coach).
This next film clip is a good example of what I'm talking about. Raimann gets to his landmark in his angle set and sees his defensive assignment starting to move towards a two-hand swipe. Rather than taking this rush head on, Raimann calmly reloads his hands and initiates the defender once the swipe attempt misses contact.
This is a rush that would have caused rookie Raimann massive issues, but now he is able to win these one on ones with relative ease due to his technique and his strength.
The Bottom Line
One of the major question marks heading into the 2023 season was if Bernhard Raimann could hold up for an entire year as the starting left tackle. With the season firmly in the rearview, the answer to that preseason question is an emphatic "Yes!"
Raimann established himself as one of the better young left tackles in the NFL in 2023 and he only has room to grow going forward. The Colts found their guy at one of the most important positions in football this year, and that development can't be overlooked.
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