Film Room: Colts Claim Rookie OT Luke Tenuta on Waivers

The Indianapolis Colts have made a waiver claim following final cut downs, opting to add rookie offensive tackle Luke Tenuta. Tenuta was a sixth round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills that ultimately got caught in a numbers game on that insanely deep roster.

Tenuta saw a lot of action this preseason, appearing in 152 snaps across three games for the Bills. Pro Football Focus graded him highly in his final two preseason games, while his worst outing surprisingly came against the Colts back in week one (just a grade of 46.0 in that one).

In today's film room, I dive into this young offensive tackle's game and discuss where he fits on this roster for 2022.

Background/Draft Profile

Tenuta was a player that I was moderately high on in the draft process compared to other analysts. In the Indy Draft Guide that our site put out, I had him listed as my 20th ranked offensive tackle with a round grade of 6-7. I loved his aggression and mindset in the trenches, but I had my concerns about his arm length and overall athleticism.

Here is my full report from the Draft Guide that we released back in April:

Just to add some more numbers to his background, here is the RAS scorecard for Tenuta after the NFL Combine. He boasted outstanding size, but his overall athleticism was certainly a major concern. It was likely one of the main reasons why he slipped to late day three on draft night.

Luke Tenuta was drafted with pick 209 of round 6 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 4.71 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 645 out of 1218 OT from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/pH3jpao16f #RAS #Bills pic.twitter.com/7RUe8E3Q5s
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 30, 2022

Run Blocking

Tenuta is certainly a better run blocker than pass blocker at this point in his career. He is a naturally strong player that understands how to use his size to wall off defenders at the point of attack. He actually looked fairly athletic in the preseason with the Buffalo Bills when it came to moving in space.

Here are a few clips from his second preseason game against the Denver Broncos. Pro Football Focus was quite high on his run blocking in this game, giving him an elite grade of 88.8 in this department.

pic.twitter.com/GEEY1DZlY1
— Not Zach’s Burner (@NotZachsBurner1) August 31, 2022

Pass Blocking

Tenuta is still a work in progress as a pass blocker. He has good hands and possesses a strong anchor, but he is still adjusting to the different level of speed that he will be seeing at the NFL level.

A below average athlete with short arms is a tough hill to climb as an offensive tackle in the NFL. He basically has to be perfect on every single rep with his footwork and with his hands. While he is still learning just how to do that, he did flash a little bit in the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers this past weekend.

pic.twitter.com/g0cVBG4gvk
— Not Zach’s Burner (@NotZachsBurner1) August 31, 2022

Tenuta ran into his worst possible match-up in week one against the Colts. He faced off with Dayo Odeyingbo for most of the game, a player that is unbelievably long and athletic. Tenuta didn't stand a chance whatsoever, and it was a good measuring stick game to see how much more work he has to do before he is ready for Sundays.

pic.twitter.com/S8vYHPkLjH
— Not Zach’s Burner (@NotZachsBurner1) August 31, 2022

The Bottom Line

The Colts claiming offensive tackle Luke Tenuta is a fairly insignificant move that adds some depth to their offensive line. Tenuta is a talented player with some upside, but he is likely a swing tackle (at best) in the NFL. His game actually reminds me a lot of former Colts' OT Will Holden.

With this move being completed, the Colts now have nine offensive lineman on their 53-man roster. I wouldn't be surprised to see the team add yet another lineman through free agency over the next few days as well. Tenuta is more of a project than a player that is ready for a prime depth spot on the team.

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