Bernhard Raimann's debut as a starter could've gone better.
The rookie left tackle committed four penalties (three accepted) for a total of 25 yards in Indianapolis' 12-9 overtime win over Denver a week ago. His first full game of action drew a grade below 50 from Pro Football Focus. And still, the Colts aren't fazed by Raimann's showing, instead showing their support by keeping him in the lineup this week against the Jaguars.
"Right now I'd be willing to tell you we think he's going to be our left tackle,'' Colts coach Frank Reich said Wednesday of Raimann, via FOX 59. "He did some good things (at Denver). I know there were some calls and some stuff, but that's just going to be part of the process.
"We feel he was a good pick. We feel he's got a lot of upside.''
Upside is a main reason any team spends a pick on a player, and the Colts saw plenty of potential in the Austrian player, who moved from his home country to Michigan to play football at Central Michigan, where he converted from tight end to tackle. The first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection eventually caught the eyes of NFL scouts in his final collegiate season, but a draft day slide saw the Colts scoop him up in the third round, where they felt they'd unearthed a gem.
Now they just need to polish it.
"That's the only way to get experience,'' veteran right tackle Braden Smith said of keeping Raimann in the lineup. "You get out there and do it. It's not an easy situation to be in. Prime-time game, silent cadence. It's definitely a challenge, but I thought he handled it well."
Raimann might disagree, and after likely hearing it from coaches during film sessions following the ugly win, it's difficult to blame the young tackle for being critical of himself.
"Definitely had a rough start,'' Raimann said. "I made a lot of mistakes, and there's a lot of things to learn from. Just things I really need to work on this week. In pass protection, just staying on my angle and not opening up too soon.''
It wasn't an easy situation in which anyone wants to make their starting debut. Raimann was facing a ferocious defensive front that was missing Randy Gregory, but still included Bradley Chubb and Baron Browning, among others. He was also doing so at altitude, in Denver's very loud home of Empower Field at Mile High. As offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said, Raimann was "thrown into the fire."
"There's going to be growing pains, but we just think he has the makeup, he has the talent,'' Reich said. "We like what we have seen so far. We understand like a lot of our young players, it's a process. I think these guys -- like Alec (Pierce) and you look at Jelani (Woods) -- they get better fast the more they play.
"You've got to play. We're going to put them in there and play them. We feel (Raimann is) going to play winning football."
Indianapolis has been trying to find a replacement at left tackle since Anthony Castonzo retired following the 2020 season. Last year, the answer was veteran Eric Fisher, but the Colts knew they needed a long-term solution.
They're hoping they have one in Raimann. The only way they'll know for sure is by throwing him back into the action.
