Colts' Matt Pryor to Get First Shake at Left Tackle
Now that the Indianapolis Colts have their quarterback in Matt Ryan, their next biggest need is his blindside protector at left tackle. Or is it?
The Colts re-signed offensive lineman Matt Pryor last week, who was a multi-purpose backup in 2021 but never quite Plan A at any of the five positions. That may no longer be the case going into his second season in Indianapolis.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard appeared on The Pat McAfee Show this week and mentioned that Pryor will get the first opportunity to earn the Colts' left tackle spot while they continue to explore their options:
I'll tell you what, one of the people that everybody kind of brushed off the signing, but Matt Pryor played really good for us this year, and I think people kind of ignored it. Even against the Raiders, when you go back and watch the Raider game, he was outstanding at left tackle. So we'll give him the first shot at it, we'll continue to look to add depth as we need to, and we'll look at both free agency and the draft, but he'll get the first shot at it.
He ended up starting five or six games for us last year both at right, left, and at guard. He's a young player, we think he's got a lot of talent. He's a big, strong man. And when we gave him a chance to perform, he performed really well. It's been fun to watch him work and kind of buy into what we're asking him to do. So, we'll give him a shot at it. We think he's got a lot of upside, but we'll continue to look.
Originally selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round (No. 206) of the 2018 NFL Draft out of TCU, Pryor has earned experience all across the offensive line for the last four years, starting 15-of-44 contests. In total, he has played 602 snaps at right guard, 520 at right tackle, 172 at left tackle, 47 at left guard, and 13 at big tight end.
The Colts acquired Pryor last summer in a trade with the Eagles, sending a 2022 sixth-round pick (No. 194) in exchange for Pryor and a 2022 seventh-rounder (No. 240).
The original plan was for him to be the "next man up" who could fill in at nearly every position, and he quickly leaned into that role.
Pryor (6'7", 332, 27 years old) appeared in all 17 games for the Colts in 2021, starting five of them. He saw action at right tackle (266 snaps), left tackle (94), right guard (69), and big tight end (9).
According to Pro Football Focus, Pryor earned a career-high 76.5 grade, including a mark of 75.2 in pass protection and a 74.8 in the run game. His overall grade ranked 24th among all NFL offensive tackles. Out of 241 pass-blocking snaps, Pryor allowed just 8 total pressures on the quarterback (6 hurries, 2 hits), including 0 sacks. His pass-block efficiency rating of 98.1 was tied for the fifth-best mark in the NFL among tackles.
The Colts' need at left tackle this offseason really began in 2021. Following the retirement of Anthony Castonzo, former Pro Bowler Eric Fisher was signed in hopes to be the Colts' next left tackle for the foreseeable future. However, coming off of an Achilles injury suffered last January, Fisher's performance sunk with the Colts in 2021, particularly as a pass protector. Graded overall as one of the worst full-time offensive tackles (68.2), his pass-block efficiency of 94.7 was even worse, ranking 52nd among 55 qualifying tackles.
Now Pryor, who was able to step in admirably on nearly every occasion last season, will get a chance to steady the Colts' left tackle position.
While some expected the Colts to swing big for a noteworthy new left tackle, the Colts felt comfortable in giving Pryor the first shot at the job while continuing to search for their options.
Should Pryor get the first shake at left tackle? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
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