Colts closely eyeing one of the least talked about offensive line prospects

Through the first three weeks of NFL free agency, the Indianapolis Colts have bizarrely opted against addressing their hole at left tackle.

The vacancy, of course, was created when longtime starter Anthony Castonzo announced his retirement at the end of the regular season.

While his announcement caught many by surprise, the Colts have had plenty of opportunities to find his replacement.

Though there are still a few starting-caliber left tackles braving the free agent waters, it’s become pretty apparent that Indianapolis has crossed off the possibility of splurging on a newcomer.

With each day that passes, it’s more likely that the Colts will take to the 2021 Draft to identify their long-term solution. The stars have been aligning this way for quite a while, and it would appear that the front office has its sights set on a largely overlooked prospect.

Per the latest draft buzz, the Colts have not only met virtually with Teven Jenkins on multiple occasions over the last few months but they had draft representatives in attendance for his Oklahoma State pro day this week.

The Colts are clearly enamored with offensive tackle prospect Teven Jenkins.

Jenkins isn’t rated as highly as some of the other OT prospects in this year’s class, but his stock has risen considerably after his exceptional pro day. For context, he earned a 9.73 Raw Athletic Score (RAS) out of a possible 10.0, which ranks 31st out of a possible 1,119 offensive tackles who have been analyzed over the last 34 years.

To put it simply, the Oklahoma State product graded out fantastically in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and bench press. On top of that, his explosion rate off the line of scrimmage was among the best of any tackle in the draft pool and his arms measured out at a ridiculous 33.5 inches.

We all know how much GM Chris Ballard values these quantifications when evaluating prospects, and the results Jenkins churned out suggest he was built in a lab for the Colts. You might think that’s hyperbole given that he isn’t mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Rashawn Slater, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw, but that couldn’t be any less accurate.

The Colts have admittedly attended the respective pro days of multiple tackle prospects. However, there’s been much more buzz and links surrounding them compared to Jenkins.

Though a bulk of Jenkins’ experience in college came at right tackle, most analysts believe he’d  make a seamless transition to the other side of the line. There were also concerns about his lack of range and overall athleticism, but those were evidently nipped in the bud following his pro day.

Once viewed as a Day 2 prospect, Jenkins’ draft stock is rising fast and the Colts seemed to have identified him as a real target with the No. 21 overall pick. If that happens, he’d become the first lineman drafted from the Cowboys’ program in the first round since Russell Okung way back in 2010.

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