Colts' Matt Goncalves Showing Promise in Debut Season

Indianapolis Colts rookie offensive tackle Matt Goncalves, to put it plainly, struggled a bit in his first few NFL starts. Luckily for the Colts, the young tackle has found his footing in recent weeks as a starter.

The Colts were major players for Goncalves in this past draft class, even electing to trade up for the Pittsburgh graduate in the middle of the third round. After a solid offseason, with an albeit shaky preseason, Goncalves slid into the Colts' swing tackle role as a rookie.

He appeared in three offensive snaps in the first eight weeks of the season before finally getting his chance to start in week nine against the Minnesota Vikings. The first start of his career went about as well as one could expect for a rookie offensive tackle, as he allowed one sack and a quarterback hit in prime time against a disruptive Vikings' pass rush.

Goncalves followed that rough outing up with another tough showing against the Buffalo Bills, allowing two sacks against one of the top teams in the AFC. Through his first two starts of the season, Goncalves ranked as the worst pass-protecting offensive tackle in the NFL among starters, according to Pro Football Focus.

#Colts Week 10 blocking grades against the Bills per PFF:

Matt Goncalves - 47.3
Quenton Nelson - 66.2
Tanor Bortolini - 70.6
Dalton Tucker - 52.8
Braden Smith - 45.6
— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) November 11, 2024

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

A rookie offensive tackle struggling out of the gate isn't rare by any means (look at Bernhard Raimann in his first couple of starts), but Goncalves' first two starts were far from encouraging. Raimann was set to miss another two games with a knee injury, which meant Goncalves had to figure out his issues on the fly and adjust quickly to protect Anthony Richardson at quarterback.

Luckily for the Colts, the young offensive tackle has started to figure it out. After grading out as one of the worst offensive tackles in football in his first two starts, Goncalves ranks as Pro Football Focus' 14th best pass blocker among starting offensive tackles in his past three starts.

This feat is made even more impressive by the fact that Goncalves has made starts at both offensive tackle positions in this recent stretch of solid play. He certainly looked better on the left side, but even his play at right tackle was leaps and bounds above his early season starts.

Colts OT Matt Goncalves has shown some improvement in pass pro in recent weeks. Looking a lot more comfortable in his sets and a fantastic athlete in space.

Needs to get stronger in the offseason but there's reason for hope with him being a starter one day imo pic.twitter.com/1vtDIgnzrt
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) December 9, 2024

Goncalves still has a ways to go to clean up his game, but the progress he is showing is noteworthy. He looks much more comfortable in the Colts' blocking system and his outstanding athleticism looks more and more noticeable by the week. If he can get stronger in the offseason, then there's a path for him to become a solid NFL starter sooner rather than later.

With Goncalves' recent stretch of play, the last month of the season becomes much more interesting for starting right tackle Braden Smith. Smith has had a down season overall, and it comes right before there is a massive out in his contract this upcoming offseason.

If Smith's struggles continue in the final month of the season, and the Colts feel optimistic about Goncalves' development, the Colts could decide to cut bait and go young at the right tackle position next season. I may be getting a bit ahead of myself with this line of thinking, but it shouldn't be ruled out entirely.

Looking at some PFF stats/grades today. Colts' rookie OT Matt Goncalves is the 14th highest rated pass blocker at OT in the NFL the past three weeks (out of 51 players with at least 80 snaps).

Only 4 hurries allowed in 96 pass blocking snaps the past three weeks
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) December 8, 2024

All of this to say that Goncalves is playing some really solid football in recent weeks. There is still some room to grow, but the Colts have to feel happy about the progress of their 2024 third round pick so far this season.

ed your fill on daily Colts' content? Head over to the Locked On Colts' YouTube channel where Jake Arthur and Zach Hicks hit on all the major topics surrounding this team. Hit that subscribe button while you are there!

Become a Locked On Colts insider! Ask your burning questions and get prompt answers from someone who's around the team every day! Get special access from the locker room, practice field, and press box!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.