Colts Select USC O-Lineman Zach Banner with 137th Pick in 4th Round

The Indianapolis Colts have selected USC offensive tackle Zach Banner with the 137th pick of the 4th round on Saturday afternoon.

The 6’8″, 353 pound offensive lineman (which is huge) could project to be an offensive guard at the professional level, but has earned consecutive All-Pac 12 first team honors for the Trojans from 2015-16.

Here’s his NFL.com Draft Profile:

"DRAFT PROJECTIONRounds 3-4SOURCES TELL US“He’s a really big guy. That’s his body type. If he doesn’t work his tail off to manage it, there is no doubt his weight will shoot way up again. Everyone is going to write him as a guard but I’m writing him as a tackle. They all have issues. I think we could work around him at tackle.” — Western regional scout from AFC teamNFL COMPARISONTrent BrownBOTTOM LINERare size, but some teams will question whether he can bend enough to be a functional NFL guard. As a tackle, he lacks quickness to consistently protect the passer, and teams might focus too heavily on that shortcoming. Teams who focus on Banner’s strength — drive blocking — should be rewarded with a starting right guard who is average in pass protection, but who can help turn run creases into running lanes."

Here’s what others are saying:

Right now, the Colts could use additional offensive line depth, as reliable veteran swing-tackle, Joe Reitz, recently retired, and the team could use another big bodied o-lineman on the roster.

While Banner seems like a bit of a developmental project, no offensive line coach can teach size and strength which he clearly possesses. He could prove to be a solid starting caliber offensive lineman if he can keep his weight in-check and continue to improve.