Indianapolis Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann is the favorite to secure the starting role on the blindside going into his second season, and he checked off a major box in helping him do so.
While Raimann is known as a tackle who moves extremely well, some of his issues during his rookie season, stemmed from an inconsistent anchor and a slight lack of functional strength against power rushers.
Raimann may have taken a step toward alleviating those concerns by adding 15 pounds to his frame this offseason.
Chatting with Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann, who reveals he's gained around 15 pounds (presumably muscle) so far this offseason. Says he still feels pretty nimble on his feet. Good news for the Colts' power run game, obviously.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) May 10, 2023
General manager Chris Ballard challenged Raimann to add some weight this offseason after having an impressive back half of the season during his first NFL campaign. It took a while for the third-round pick to get his feet underneath him, but he made some impressive strides down the stretch.
Now with a full offseason to work with, Raimann is feeling much more comfortable entering his second campaign.
“I mean, we’ve been having a lot of fun in the offseason. I feel better physically, mentally. You really take care of your body in the offseason. You put on a couple pounds, you work on your technique, you build more chemistry with the guys – which has been huge,” Raimann told reporters Wednesday. “You just get more comfortable with the other guys, but also with playbooks with the speed of the NFL and everything. I’m just looking forward to the season now.”
The Colts didn’t add much competition for Raimann in terms of a challenge for the starting role. They did select Blake Freeland in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, but Raimann should be considered the strong favorite in that regard.
There is a chance the Colts add a veteran to the room simply for depth purposes, but Raimann is entering an offseason where he can entrench himself as a vital piece of the offense.
We’ll see what kind of improvements Raimann has made to his game, but adding a stronger anchor was one of those boxes to check so he appears to be heading in the right direction.
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