The Indianapolis Colts are closing in on the 2023 NFL draft where they likely will use a number of their picks to address the offensive line.
One of the biggest needs that remain throughout the offseason is the interior offensive line. While Quenton Nelson holds down the left guard spot, center Ryan Kelly was the subject of trade rumors, and the right guard position currently doesn’t have a projected starter.
There are still some free agents the Colts could target for the right guard position, but we should expect them to dive heavily into the draft class next weekend.
For the purpose of covering both centers and guards, we proposed a “best prospect fit” for each position in each round.
Following this series of articles, we’ve also looked at these positions:
- QB prospects in each round
- WR prospects in each round
- CB prospects in each round
- OT prospects in each round
- EDGE prospects in each round
We’ll be tracking the Colts’ reported interest in the 2023 draft class so be sure to keep up with latest updates via our tracker.
Here’s a look at one guard and one center prospect who fit the Colts in each round of the draft:
Round 1
Best prospect fit: N/A
Selections in this round (1): No. 4
It’s difficult to come up with a realistic scenario in which the Colts add a guard in the first round. Even if they traded back outside of the top-10 picks, it’s likely they’d prefer to add a cornerback like Christian Gonzalez or Devon Witherspoon or a player at a more premium position. They might consider Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, who has Pro-Bowl upside as a guard. But Chris Ballard probably wouldn’t see Skoronski’s career develop because there’s a good chance he wouldn’t survive the season if he made a move like that.
Round 2
Best prospect fit (guard): Cody Mauch, North Dakota State
Selections in this round (1): No. 35
Mauch would be an intriguing fit as a guard in Shane Steichen’s offense. He moves extremely well at 6-foot-5 and 302 pounds. Mauch is a bit older at 24 years old, and he needs to add some strength to his anchor. However, his movement skills, leadership and mentality to compete for a starting job right away.
Best prospect fit (center): John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
If the Colts wanted to add a center in the second round to eventually replace Ryan Kelly, Schmitz might be the most popular candidate. He’s a perfect fit for the blocking scheme considering his movement skills, aggressiveness and leadership. He has experience making calls at the line and would be a strong successor to Kelly. Joe Tippman out of Wisconsin also should be in consideration.
Round 3
Best prospect fit (guard): Chandler Zavala, North Carolina State
Selections in this round (1): No. 79
Zavala has been rising up boards recently, and if the Colts are comfortable enough with his injury history, there’s plenty of upside to his game as an eventual starter. Zavala brings the mean streak the Colts need back into their offensive line, and he has solid movement skills to go along with powerful run blocking.
Best prospect fit (center): Luke Wypler, Ohio State
There’s a good chance if the Colts want Wypler that he would need to be taken in the third round. He may not have ideal length for the position, but he’s an outstanding athlete who moves well in space and has two years of making calls at the line. Giving him a year to learn under Ryan Kelly would be beneficial for his development, and there’s a lot of upside to his game.
Round 4
Best prospect fit (guard): Emil Ekiyor, Alabama
Selections in this round (1): No. 106
Ekiyor would be an intriguing addition to the offensive line if the Colts waited until Day 3 of the draft. He has 40 career starts under his belt at right guard so no position change would be necessary and was voted to the All-SEC First Team in 2022. He moves well for his size and could compete for a starting job right away.
Best prospect fit (center): Alex Forsyth, Oregon
Forsyth may not possess the type of athleticism we’re used to seeing the Colts target, and there are other red flags such as injury history and age. However, Forsyth is a strong leader, an impressive technician, and he has 28 starts at center while making calls at the line for Oregon.
Round 5
Best prospect fit (guard): Jon Gaines II, UCLA
Selections in this round (3): Nos. 138, 162, 176
Gaines has been one of my favorite Day 3 targets since the start of the pre-draft process. Though he’ll be 24 years old during his rookie season, Gaines has the size, length and elite movement skills to develop into a potential starter. He spent most of his time at right guard during his collegiate career but also has at least one game of experience at every position except left tackle. He’s also known for his high character and intelligence.
Best prospect fit (center): Juice Scruggs, Penn State
Scruggs spent more time playing center at Penn State, but he also has experience working at right guard as well. He was highly regarded as a team captain in the locker room, and he shows good leverage in pass protection. He isn’t the most explosive athlete and won’t win with power, but he moves well enough to be an asset on the interior.
Round 6
The Colts currently don’t have a selection in the sixth round of the draft.
Round 7
Best prospect fit (guard): Andrew Vorhees, USC
Selections in this round (2): Nos. 221, 236
It probably won’t happen because Vorhees could be taken before the seventh round. Originally a Day 2 pick, Vorhees tore his ACL during the NFL combine and very well could miss his rookie season as he recovers. However, he brings the mentality, power and leadership the Colts want in their offensive line. He’ll be 24 during his rookie season, but he could compete for a starting role in 2024.
Best prospect fit (center): Jarrett Paterson, Notre Dame
With 34 starts at center and 12 at left guard, Patterson has the type of positional flexibility teams will like on Day 3. He was a two-time team captain for the Fighting Irish and has the power to match NFL competition. There’s upside to him developing into a backup interior player with positional versatility.
