Could the Colts still add to the OL after the 2025 NFL draft? If so, who are the best available free agent options?
The 2025 NFL draft may have just wrapped up, but could we see the Indianapolis Colts go back to the free agent market to further round out their roster? And if so, who is still out there?
Following this year’s draft, there is one position group in particular that I believe the Colts could still justify adding to: the offensive line, specifically guard.
The addition of Jalen Travis in the draft gives the Colts tackle depth, which then provides the flexibility to move Matt Goncalves to right guard. However, as I’ve said all offseason, while the Colts believed when they drafted Goncalves that he could play guard, he’s pretty much been a tackle his entire career.
So this is a position change that he’s potentially making, and relying solely on him to fill that starting right guard role does come with a risk. We don’t know how seamless that transition will be.
In terms of current on the roster options for the Colts, they could hand Goncalves the job. Maybe they’d give Tanor Bortolini some reps to create competition at right guard, but then Danny Pinter is your center, and then there is no competition there.
Other options on the roster already at guard include Atonio Mafi, Josh Sills, and Dalton Tucker.
To me, the prudent move would be to bring in competition for that starting right guard role, which would also bolster the depth along the interior as well. While many will be fixated on Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones, I’m not sure it matters who wins if the offensive line play isn’t good enough.
Without a steady run game to lean on, moving the ball through the air becomes much more challenging when regularly facing predictable passing situations. Then, we all know how important a clean pocket is for a quarterback.
With Richardson specifically, he completed just 37% of his passes last season when under pressure. Jones completed only 44%, according to PFF.
Salary cap-wise, with $23.1 million in available space, according to Over the Cap, the Colts have plenty of room to make a free agent addition. Also, it’s not as if anyone at this point is going to break the bank.
Here are some available veteran guard options who have experience and could come in and compete.
Tyrstan Colon, Arizona
Colon has played all three interior positions during his NFL career, which is a valuable skill set to have on a roster. He appeared in 10 games last season, playing 386 snaps and grading out quite well as a run-blocker while allowing 12 pressures and no sacks over 215 pass-blocking reps.
Dalton Risner, Minnesota
Throughout his career, Risner has routinely graded out quite well as a pass-blocker but only so-so in the run game. Last season with the Vikings, he allowed just one sack and ranked 40th out of 80 guards in pass-blocking efficiency. Risner was slightly below average in the run game, according to PFF’s metrics.
Will Hernandez, Arizona
Hernandez would appear in only five games last season. However, according to PFF’s metrics, since 2022, Hernandez’s pass-blocking grade is the ninth-best among all guards during that span, and his pressure rate allowed of 4.2% ranks 17th. By PFF’s grading system, he’s been more effective in pass protection than in the run game.
Brandon Scherff, Jacksonville
Scherff had been very durable all three years in Jacksonvlle, starting every game during that span. As the Jaguars’ right guard, Scherff had been particularly good in pass protection, which includes this past season, not giving up a single sack and ranking fourth among his position group in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric. In run-blocking grade Scherff ranked 57th.