Colts Sign Last Remaining Draft Picks Jelani Woods and Bernhard Raimann
It only took a week for the Colts to get their entire eight-man 2022 NFL Draft class signed to their rookie contracts.
On Friday, the team announced that it signed the final two remaining players — third-round picks Jelani Woods and Bernhard Raimann — to their deals.
Woods, the tight end out of Virginia, was selected with the 73rd-overall pick in the draft. Colts general manager Chris Ballard spoke about his new offensive playmaker after the draft:
Jelani is unique. I’m not going to lie to you, I sweated it out because I think he’s got really big upside both as a receiving tight end and as a blocker. We think he’s going to be able to block. He did it at Oklahoma State, but he’s a unique athlete and he’s a guy that’s always open. It’s kind of like Mo (Alie-Cox). When you’re 6'7", the quarterback can put the ball up and he’s athletic enough to be able to make a play on it. This kid can run. This kid can really run so we’re excited to get him. All of them are smart. All of them are really smart guys, and I think that’s important.
While the Colts have a couple of gifted athletes at tight end in Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson, head coach Frank Reich's offense is tight end-centric at its best and is looking to replace Jack Doyle, who retired this offseason.
While it will be difficult for anyone to replace what Doyle provided as a true throwback tight end, Ballard and the Colts have faith that Woods can provide help as a dynamic pass-catcher and as an in-line blocker.
As for Raimann, the offensive lineman out of Central Michigan was selected with the 77th-overall pick in the draft. Midwest area scout Chad Henry spoke glowingly about Raimann after the draft:
He's a special kid, now. He grows up in Austria where football's not really a thing. He discovers it, loves it. Playing semi-pro ball over there. Wants to play ball so he comes in this exchange program and goes to a small school, plays tight end. Plays tight end the first two years he's at Central Michigan, gets on the field, he's a part-time starter. This guy's intelligent, he's confident, he's a worker, he believes in himself, he's coachable. His physical toughness is excellent. His mental toughness, I have no problem saying this guy could man the left side of the line because the left tackle position in addition to having all the skill, you have to be mentally tough because if you get your ass beat, everyone in the stadium knows it. And he's got that kind of wiring for sure.
One of the Colts' biggest needs coming into the offseason was at left tackle as Eric Fisher failed to establish himself as a long-term option with his play last season. The Colts re-signed Matt Pryor to get the first shot at the starting role but Raimann is very much in the mix.
Ballard was asked about Raimann being the left tackle following the draft and he said that the Colts would put the best five offensive linemen on the field regardless.
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