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Anthony Castonzo Led the NFL in Pass Protection Snaps

By Luke Schultheis

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While the Indianapolis Colts Anthony Castonzo may be unheralded, he’s quietly become one of the best left tackles in all of football. Primarily protecting Andrew Luck‘s blindside last season, Castonzo led the NFL in pass protection snaps last season according to ProFootballFocus (subscription):

It’s another revealed feat for what was already a really great season for the 5th-year tackle overall. Castonzo started all 16 games for the Colts, the 3rd straight season he’s done as such. He played in all 1,400 of the offense’s snaps at left tackle during the regular season, demonstrating his incredible durability.

Oct 26, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indianapolis Colts tackle Anthony Castonzo (74) prepares to block at the line of scrimmage against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 51-34. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Not only is Castonzo a modern-day “NFL Ironman” in his durability, but he’s also highly productive at left tackle. Per PFF, he received a +15.2 grade overall, which was the 12th best among all left tackles. Specifically, his +14.4 grade in pass blocking was the 6th best at his position.

As the last first round pick of Bill Polian‘s Colts tenure, Castonzo has become a bookend left tackle for the new regime. He’s among one of the best pass blocking left tackles in the game, which bodes well for Luck and a prolific passing offense going forward.

He’s finally starting to get some of his well-deserved recognition too. While Castonzo has yet to make a Pro Bowl, he was named to NFL.com’s All-AFC South team. If he continues his exceptional play, he should eventually receive more honors in his near future.

In the mean time, Castonzo can do what he does best…

Play every game, every snap, and do both at an incredibly high level. 

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