With the Indianapolis Colts on their bye week, let’s take a look back at how their 2024 rookie class is performing. Up next is fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini.
If you’ve missed any of our other rookie reviews, you can find them below:
Laiatu Latu
AD Mitchell
Matt Goncalves
PFF grade: 65.1
Rank among rookie interior OLs: 3rd/13
Rank among all centers: 16th
Stats to know: Bortolini has appeared in six games this season at center, including five starts. Over 210 pass-blocking sacks, he is yet to allow a sack and has given up seven pressures. At the center position, he ranks 17th in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency metric and is 22nd in run-blocking grade.
Breakdown: There have been some expected ups and downs, particularly some quick push up the middle in recent games from some power-rushing interior defenders, but for the most part, Bortolini has handled himself well at a position that comes with a steep learning curve, as the numbers above suggest.
As offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter highlighted over the summer, there is a lot on a center's plate pre-snap, specifically identifying potential pressures and what the defense is doing, and then communicating and setting blocking assignments, along with managing the snap count and quarterback's cadence.
Bortolini came to the NFL as an experienced, versatile, and athletic prospect, but I imagine the Colts viewed him as a potential long-term answer at center with Ryan Kelly currently in the final year of his deal. I would guess that the Colts feelings about Bortolini being 'the guy' in 2025 have only gotten stronger based on his play this season.
Bortolini would miss the Colts' game against New England with a concussion. Shane Steichen would also say that the team could get Kelly back off injured reserve coming out of the bye week.
