The Indianapolis Colts’ offensive line will feature two new starters this season, but the unit is still among the best in Pro Football Focus’ recent 2025 season rankings.

Zoltan Buday recently ranked all 32 offensive line units from first to last, and coming in at No. 5 were the Colts.

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“Indianapolis may be home to the top left tackle-left guard pairing in the NFL. Left guard Quenton Nelson’s 81.3 PFF overall grade ranked fourth among all guards last year, and left tackle Bernhard Raimann’s 85.1 mark placed eighth at his position,” wrote Buday.

As noted, the Colts have a strong foundation with Nelson, Raimann, and Braden Smith. However, this year unlike last, there are unknowns with Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves presumably starting at center and right guard, respectively.

Bortolini held his own when called upon last season, ranking well individually among centers by PFF’s metrics, but he is still relatively inexperienced at a position where a lot is put on the player’s plate, both pre-snap, where protections and any adjustments have to be made, and post-snap, particularly in the run game within Shane Steichen’s offense.

Goncalves, meanwhile, is making a full position change. During his college career at Pittsburgh, he played just 44 in-game snaps at guard, while as a rookie with the Colts, he had just one.

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However, what gives the Colts confidence that he can make this transition is that he often practiced at guard last season and improved as the year went on.

“I look at his skill set and the skill set that he has,” OL coach Tony Sparano said, via James Boyd of The Athletic. “He’s a big man. He’s got power. He’s got length and he’s really, deceptively very light on his feet. He’s quick. He can get out in space, you saw some of the stuff he did in the run game out in space last year was very good. That about his skill set excited me, plus he’s a really tough physical player. For our guards, that is non-negotiable, they gotta be that way and he is that way.”

Sparano would also mention that both Bortolini and Goncalves are competing for these starting jobs, but both are the presumed starters right now.

All eyes are going to be on Anthony Richardson and Danile Jones, but in order for whoever is under center to be in a position to find success, the offensive line must provide a run game to lean on to keep the offense out of predictable passing situations, as well as time in the pocket for the quarterback.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts offensive line unit ranked near top of NFL ahead of 2025 season