It's NFL draft month. So between now and when the first round begins, we will be highlighting prospects who could be of interest to the Indianapolis Colts.
Next up is Alabama interior offensive lineman Tyler Booker.
Measureables
Height: 6-045
Weight: 321
Relative Athletic Score (RAS): 3.68
Of note here, GM Chris Ballard has often drafted one of the more athletic draft classes each year. So this selection from an athleticism standpoint, particularly in Round 1, would be an outlier in that regard.
Tyler Booker is a OG prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 3.68 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1088 out of 1720 OG from 1987 to 2025. https://t.co/liqP2KDfr5pic.twitter.com/nfLrJaIaio
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 30, 2025
Stats to know
Booker has played over 2,000 career snaps on offense in three collegiate seasons. Most of his time has come at left guard. During that span, Booker never allowed more than 15 pressures in a season and just two total sacks.
In this most recent season specifically, Booker was PFF's ninth-highest rated pass-blocker among all guards. For what it's worth, he often graded out better in pass protection than as a run-blocker. Out of 126 eligible guards in 2024, Booker ranked 77th in run-blocking grade.
Fit with the Indianapolis Colts
Perhaps the Colts' starting five on the offensive line is already on the roster if Matt Goncalves slides over from tackle to guard. However, that shouldn't be assumed either.
While Ballard mentioned after the 2024 NFL draft that he believed Goncalves could play the guard position, he spent his career at Pitt and his first season in the NFL at tackle. The skill set to play guard may be there, but the position change could very well come with a learning curve.
Success for the Colts offense, regardless of who the quarterback is, starts with the play of the offensive line unit and providing a run game to lean on and time in the pocket. Without that, moving the ball consistently won't come easily.
This is a position group that the Colts have to get right, so assumptions shouldn't be made and no stone should be left unturned. The prudent move would be to have a competition for that starting right guard role.
“We’re working through that right now, (general manager Chris Ballard) and his staff, just looking at what’s out there, obviously, through free agency, possibly the draft,” Shane Steichen said via the Indy Star. “But obviously, offensive line’s a big part of it. You’ve got to be able to protect the quarterback. You’ve got ...