The Indianapolis Colts have seen LT Bernhard Raimann improve each year he's been in the NFL. Near the end of last season, he was playing like one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL.
But it seems people around the league are still sleeping on the third-year tackle, with Raimann being left outside of the top 10 offensive tackle rankings compiled through a survey of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts.
This list was released by ESPN's Jeremey Fowler, which showed that Raimann was not named as a top ten offensive tackle in the NFL but was not listed as one of the six honorable mentions. Below are the top ten tackles, along with the honorable mentions.
1. Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
2. Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
3. Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans
4. Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
6. Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota Vikings
7. Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles
8. Andrew Thomas, New York Giants
9. Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers
10. Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
HM: Tyron Smith, New York Jets
HM: Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills
HM: Terron Armstead, Miami Dolphins
HM: Kolton Miller, Las Vegas Raiders
HM: Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions
HM: Charles Cross, Seattle Seahawks
While Raimann wasn't listed in the group above he was one of the ten others who also received votes. The Colts drafted Raimann with the 77th pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. After taking it slow, the Austrian tackle has taken the team's LT job by the reigns and has not let go. He's shown improvement each season to date, and many are expecting him to take another jump in production in 2024.
So the NFL might be sleeping on him now, but if he is able to take another step this season, they will be forced to wake up. My prediction is that Raimann's play in 2024 will lead to him jumping over the "honorable mention" tier altogether and being named a top ten offensive tackle in the league.
