Tight end is obviously a major need for the Indianapolis Colts. But what if they go a different direction in the first round?
SI’s NFL insider Albert Breer recently wrote that he is hearing that the Colts have been linked to both Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland. But if Indianapolis were to not take a tight end in Round 1, the “smart bet” would be on them addressing the offensive or defensive lines.
One prospect, in particular, whom Breer would then go on to mention was Alabama guard Tyler Booker.
“Alabama G Tyler Booker, who was a real alpha inside the Tide program (and helped the coaches get the most out of teammates such as current Titans OT JC Latham) through the transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer. They could also theoretically take someone like Booker, and double back with a second-round tight end like LSU’s Mason Taylor, since there’s more depth at tight end than there is with offensive linemen.”
As Breer notes, positional depth in this year’s draft could be a factor in dictating how the Colts approach the first round.
In three seasons, Booker played over 2,000 snaps on offense and never surrendered more than 15 pressures in a season, and only two total sacks.
In this most recent season specifically, Booker was PFF’s ninth-highest rated pass-blocker among all guards. For what it’s worth, he often graded out better in pass protection than as a run-blocker. Out of 126 eligible guards in 2024, Booker ranked 77th in run-blocking grade.
The addition of Booker to the Colts’ offense would provide them with a starting right guard. The trickle-down effect is that Matt Goncalves could then stay at tackle, where he could provide depth off the bench and be the long-term answer on the right side with Braden Smith in the final year of his deal.
This may not be a position getting talked about much for the Colts, but it’s one that they have to get right. Regardless of who wins the quarterback battle, if the offensive line play isn’t good enough, finding consistency on offense won’t come easy.
One thing to note, however, when it comes to Booker is that he posted a Relative Athletic Score of just 3.68 out of 10.0. In this specific regard, this selection would be an outlier for GM Chris Ballard.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Insider mentions OL Tyler Booker as option for Colts