The Indianapolis Colts have some all-star players that automatically come to mind when fans think about irreplaceable members of the franchise: Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., DeForest Buckner, to name a few. But the real Colts' superstar, one upon whom the franchise relies, is someone that might be a bit more unexpected.
Bernhard Raimann has been recognized as one of the best players on the Colts roster, but any football fan knows that offensive linemen are typically underlooked and underappreciated, despite the incredibly important role they play. Their contributions tend to fly under the radar, they aren't as visible or flashy as other positions, and when they're doing their job well, it's not noticed - by design. Stopping the quarterback from, say, being sacked is not something that generally gets noticed day after day.
A recent analysis from Bleacher Report's Moe Moton named each team's building block, a player who will be the cornerstone upon which the franchise can build the future around. And for the Colts, that is none other than Raimann.
"The Indianapolis Colts have two key roster building blocks in Bernhard Raimann and Kwity Paye, though they could let the latter walk in free agency next offseason. Raimann, who's also in the final term of his current contract, plays a non-rotational position, which raises his value a little higher than the team's top pass-rusher.Moe Moton
Because of the scarcity of quality left tackles around the league, the Colts will likely sign Raimann to an extension before his contract expires in 2026.
Still a bit green as an offensive lineman who didn't grow up playing football, Raimann has a lot of room for growth. That said, he has shown significant development over the last three years, particularly as a pass-blocker.
In 2024, Raimann allowed just four sacks while on the field for 471 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. The Colts picked up a steal when they drafted him in the third round of the 2022 draft."
It has been predicted that Raimann could one day develop into one of the best tackles in the league, if not the best - after all, he's incredibly highly rated. He's been playing next to some superstars so far, in Quenton Nelson and Will Fries, but Fries is gone, and Raimann has proved that he's just as good as Nelson is - despite having less experience overall. He's still young, and in all likelihood, is only going to continue improving.
The only bad news here is that Raimann is going into the last year of his contract, and so far, he hasn't been extended. If Chris Ballard has any sense about him, he'd get Raimann nailed down ASAP for the future, though, because this is one player the Colts cannot afford to lose.