Colts’ GM Chris Ballard believes this Day 3 rookie draft pick will be an “excellent” player.
Throughout training camp and the preseason, one of the Indianapolis Colts’ Day 3 draft picks has caught the attention of GM Chris Ballard–offensive tackle Jalen Travis.
Since selecting Travis in the fourth round of this past April’s draft, Ballard has been bullish on the offensive lineman. However, Travis’ play this summer has raised his level of excitement.
“I think Jalen Travis is going to be excellent,” Ballard said. “He is big. Now, that’s one that I’m not going to say surprised me, but he’s coming along faster than I thought he would, and he’s a much better athlete. I thought he was a decent athlete, but he’s much better. You ought to watch him in there skipping rope in the weight room–it’s impressive for a 340-pound guy.”
After spending three seasons at Princeton, Travis transferred to Iowa State for the 2024 season, where he was one of the best pass-blocking offensive tackles in college football.
According to PFF’s metrics, out of 475 pass-blocking snaps, Travis surrendered only one sack and just 11 pressures. Compared to the rest of his position group across the FBS, Travis ranked 15th in pass-blocking efficiency, and he was ninth in pass-blocking grade.
This preseason with the Colts, playing both right and left tackle, Travis surrendered one sack and seven pressures.
He was competing this summer with Blake Freeland for the swing tackle role off the bench, a role that Travis seemed to have a firm grasp on prior to Freeland’s injury.
As a rookie, Travis will back up both left tackle Bernhard Raimann and right tackle Braden Smith.
Overall, the Colts are relying on a lot of youth along the offensive line. Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves are first-time starters in their second seasons, while Travis, a rookie, is backing up both tackle spots, along with Dalton Tucker, another second-year player, coming off the bench at guard.