Colts Urged to Make Surprising Move with First Pick

Not everyone is a fan of the Indianapolis Colts targeting a tight end with their first pick in the draft.

Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; University of Missouri offensive lineman Armand Membou (OL28) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Ask 10 people what position the Indianapolis Colts should target first in the 2025 NFL Draft, and eight or nine of them may tell you tight end.

The group is in rough shape for the Colts, earning the second-fewest yards in the NFL among tight end units last year, and not having an individual tight end reach 500 receiving yards in a season since Eric Ebron in 2018.

With the Colts' great need at the position, there is also value there early in the draft, and Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland are both considered among the best players in the draft. Connecting the dots is obvious, but according to James Plocher of Pro Football Focus, maybe it shouldn't be so clear.

"The Colts could use a tight end, but improving their offensive line would be a better use of their draft capital," Plocher wrote. "Bernhard Raimann has been very good at left tackle for the Colts, but right tackle Braden Smith hasn’t played 750 snaps in a season since 2022. Armand Membou, who logged 800-plus snaps in each of the past two seasons, would be a perfect fit if he falls to the No. 14 pick."

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To PFF's credit, right tackle is a need for the Colts. Braden Smith is back on a reworked contract for 2025, but he only has one year left on his deal. There's also the matter of his health, or lack thereof. Smith has played a full season just once in his eight-year career (2019), overall missing an average of nearly five games per season since 2021. He's dealt with lingering knee issues in recent years as well as an intense battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder late last year.

A player like Armand Membou would fill a long-term need for the Colts at right tackle, but also a short-term one at right guard, as the position is currently vacant for the Colts. If it goes well enough, Membou could even stay at right guard while Matt Goncalves succeeds Smith at tackle whenever the time comes.

Membou does fit what the Colts covet in offensive linemen after starting 30 games at right tackle for Missouri, but he's unlikely to make it out of the top 10 selections. He has the second-best athletic profile in this draft among offensive tackles, and his blend of size and athleticism has teams enamored about where they could play him.

The first round of the NFL Draft begins Thursday at 8:00 p.m. E.T., followed by Rounds 2-3 on Friday, and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday.