Colts Select Bernhard Raimann at 77

[stitches]

nevermind... 

 

[Superman]

36 minutes ago, stitches said:

I'm loving this draft. I wasn't the biggest fan of Raimann in the 1st the way some were projecting him, but at 77 this is a no-brainer... Ballard has done really well navigating this draft and acquiring good value ... 

 

Yeah, people had him as a fringe first, identifying him as a need for us at #42, which I didn't like. Getting him at #77 is nice.

 

Also, all Ballard seems to care about is RAS, lol. 

 

Edit: The arm length kind of makes him a Ballard outlier, but Braden Smith has shorter arms also. Of course, they drafted Smith to play guard, not tackle. 

[Rhodelesstraveled]

16 minutes ago, TheNextGM said:

Titans get Willis. 

Not good.  

[Nickster]

Dudes Austrian.  Bet he can ski.  I just hope he don’t skate at LT.

[EastStreet]

Best pick so far for us, regardless of position. 

 

Colts just traded up for another 3rd rounder. 

[TomDiggs]

2 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

Best pick so far for us, regardless of position. 

 

Colts just traded up for another 3rd rounder. 

Nick Cross is an absolute steal here. Hell of a move. This has legit been an A+ level draft 

[Moosejawcolt]

14 minutes ago, Rhodelesstraveled said:

Not good.  

Good. So they have a rookie wr with their 1st pick and subtract  Brown  and then draft qb. I see a fragile team ripe for the pickin lol

[EastStreet]

6 minutes ago, TomDiggs said:

Nick Cross is an absolute steal here. Hell of a move. This has legit been an A+ level draft 

The first two picks were C+ish for me.

Rainmann was an A+, but that assumes a year or two to develop. 

 

Cross is a faster version of Blackmon, with higher FS upside than Blackmon. 

If Cross's ball instincts (D reading) are decent, he'll challenge Blackmon early, and Blackmon might end up a SS sooner than later. I've always though Blackmon would be a better SS than FS, so I understand the pick. Good value too, but definitely a project. The project has great traits and I like it. 

[ProblChld32]

1 hour ago, tvturner said:

Surprised he lasted this long

 

Ballard has knocked this out of the park imo.

Steal of a pick

[chrisfarley]

1 hour ago, csmopar said:

Ouch. That’s what I’m dealing with since 2013. Yuck

a lot of players play with that (and all kinds of other chronic stuff).  NFL players have different DNA that allows them to tolerate pain like no one else in any other sport.

[chad72]

Cross is a heck of a system pick, IMO. An A pick in terms of system fit.

 

Raimann is a steal at 77. Keep the strength of the OL going. Keep Matt upright and good things will happen.

 

 

[GoColts8818]

1 hour ago, ProblChld32 said:

Steal of a pick

Yeah I was driving tonight and caught the Colts draft coverage on the radio right after they traded out of 42 and Venturi was beside himself that the Colts didn’t stay at 42 and take Raimann there.  There is a reason Ballard is who he is and why Venturi won 3 games as a coach.  The Colts got probably three guys who could have gone at 42 depending on who you asked.  That’s unbelievable work by the GM to do that and to do it by trading back.  

[Moosejawcolt]

5 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

Yeah I was driving tonight and caught the Colts draft coverage on the radio right after they traded out of 42 and Venturi was beside himself that the Colts didn’t stay at 42 and take Raimann there.  There is a reason Ballard is who he is and why Venturi won 3 games as a coach.  The Colts got probably three guys who could have gone at 42 depending on who you asked.  That’s unbelievable work by the GM to do that and to do it by trading back.  

That's not really fair to say. Just because he was not a good head coach does not mean he is not a good evaluator of talent. If u want to measure a person by their record, then do the same for Ballard. He is 41-41, I think. That would rate him as below average as  a gm. Now, I don't think Ballard is below average, but this year there are no excuses for  him and Reich.

[EastStreet]

47 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

Yeah I was driving tonight and caught the Colts draft coverage on the radio right after they traded out of 42 and Venturi was beside himself that the Colts didn’t stay at 42 and take Raimann there.  There is a reason Ballard is who he is and why Venturi won 3 games as a coach.  The Colts got probably three guys who could have gone at 42 depending on who you asked.  That’s unbelievable work by the GM to do that and to do it by trading back.  

Ballard has hit well, really big in some years, but he's also missed too. 

 

I'm guessing Venturi doesn't have a lot of confidence in Pryor, so if I were the same, I'd understand. But I have confidence in Pryor and think he's simply peaking after getting his weight management right. 

 

That said, Rainmann was projected by many as a mid first round OT. Both PFF and NFL.com have him highly ranked/rated. He's a small school TE convert, so there is risk, but Venturi isn't extreme at all for pounding the table. 

 

At the same time, Ballard took a WR many thought would go late 2nd or 3rd. I'm a big fan for GMs to get who they want. So if Pierce was "the guy" for CB, I stand behind it. I don't totally understand the fit given the evals, RAS, film, and fit, but OK. 

 

Overall I'd bet though, the 3rd and 4th picks, turn out better, and longer term players, than the first two.

 

Would love to be totally wrong about the first two. 

[el duderino]

beeing from austria, I am kinda excited we got him!!! 

[DattMavis]

6 hours ago, IndySouthsider said:

How exactly did colts get AJ traded out of division.

Irsay used his jet.

[DattMavis]

3 hours ago, EastStreet said:

Ballard has hit well, really big in some years, but he's also missed too. 

 

I'm guessing Venturi doesn't have a lot of confidence in Pryor, so if I were the same, I'd understand. But I have confidence in Pryor and think he's simply peaking after getting his weight management right. 

 

That said, Rainmann was projected by many as a mid first round OT. Both PFF and NFL.com have him highly ranked/rated. He's a small school TE convert, so there is risk, but Venturi isn't extreme at all for pounding the table. 

 

At the same time, Ballard took a WR many thought would go late 2nd or 3rd. I'm a big fan for GMs to get who they want. So if Pierce was "the guy" for CB, I stand behind it. I don't totally understand the fit given the evals, RAS, film, and fit, but OK. 

 

Overall I'd bet though, the 3rd and 4th picks, turn out better, and longer term players, than the first two.

 

Would love to be totally wrong about the first two. 

The first two feel like boom or bust picks, especially Jelani. I’m glad we got a mix of both.

[Colt.45]

I'd have strongly considered him at 42, getting him 30+ picks later is superb value. He's legit comp for Pryor and may very well fill that position for the next decade. Outside of the arm length, he has all the tools, a few inconsistencies, but nothing not teachable. If we can teach, and he's a willing learner, this could be a major league steal.

Had him on my board as one of the guys i'd definitely want.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

I was watching presser and thought it was kind of funny to hear his accent. He is from Austria.  You don’t see this much in the NFL.

[holeymoley99]

I expect at least 1 td catch from him this season. 

[csmopar]

So anyone else catch his comments to Chris Ballard during his draft call? “Let’s go win the Super Bowl” Ballard didn’t make that comment, Raimain did. A bit cocky sure, but I like a motivated big man. Him and big Q may get along very well

[IndyD4U]

31 minutes ago, csmopar said:

So anyone else catch his comments to Chris Ballard during his draft call? “Let’s go win the Super Bowl” Ballard didn’t make that comment, Raimain did. A bit cocky sure, but I like a motivated big man. Him and big Q may get along very well

 
on Raimann’s film you can see he’s a mauler/finisher. The thought of him and Q on the same side of the line is exciting 

[AwesomeAustin]

Looks like we will be running to the left a lot!!   If his knee issues are real and considering he will be 25 when the season starts and needs to develop, hopefully we can get at least 5 years out of him as a quality starter. From what I’m seeing he is a good player but it makes sense why we got him in the 3rd. I wouldn’t call this a slam dunk pick but very good value with potential. 

[GRUMPY OLD MAN]

yes may be a miss , some injuries never heal

[GRUMPY OLD MAN]

5 hours ago, Colt.45 said:

I'd have strongly considered him at 42, getting him 30+ picks later is superb value. He's legit comp for Pryor and may very well fill that position for the next decade. Outside of the arm length, he has all the tools, a few inconsistencies, but nothing not teachable. If we can teach, and he's a willing learner, this could be a major league steal.

Had him on my board as one of the guys i'd definitely want.

injury concerns caused him to drop, some teams dont draft injured players

[Caffrey]

While stationed in Germany, my unit set up a tour to Munich and Austria.  It was really a beautiful area.  What I like when watching his Raimann's highlights is he lined up at LT so he has experience at that position and also when he was able to adjust smoothly on a stunt by the DE and DT which seemed to be a problem for our OL who did not pan out. 

[twfish]

starting around the 8:55 mark. Seems like a steal for us and has a good base to build off of

[hoosierhawk]

22 hours ago, coltsfanej said:

Injury concerns caused him to drop.  If he can stay healthy he could be a total steal!

I've heard that also but he started all 12 games this year.

[coltsfanej]

33 minutes ago, hoosierhawk said:

I've heard that also but he started all 12 games this year.

From what I heard it’s a tendinitis issue in his knees. I think that is what was said on the PFF stream after he began to fall so far. 

[EastStreet]

16 hours ago, DattMavis said:

The first two feel like boom or bust picks, especially Jelani. I’m glad we got a mix of both.

It'll be interesting that's for sure. If they are used correctly, I think both can succeed. Just not confident in use due to scheme. 

[lollygagger8]

Ballard out here playing chess picking up the Austrian in the 3rd....well done !!!

 

[coltsfan1965]

For better or worse, he is most likely the starting LT this year. Pryor will have his chance, but if Raimann is close to being as athletic and smart as they say, he will win the job in training camp. Injury concerns which do not cause players to miss games are often rumors started by agents of players at the same position who want their players drafted higher or teams who want a shot at a better player in a later round. 

[shasta519]

On 4/30/2022 at 9:30 PM, coltsfanej said:

From what I heard it’s a tendinitis issue in his knees. I think that is what was said on the PFF stream after he began to fall so far. 

 

Or PFF was just way too high on him...and the injury concerns are just a reason they over-graded him. They seemed to be higher on him than anybody.

[shasta519]

My thoughts. Raimann really seems like a guy you can root for. Love his story.

 

But he was available in the 3rd round for a reason:

• Going to be a 25 year-old rookie
  • How does that impact his ceiling?
• Played against guys that are 3-5 years younger and played in the MAC
  • NFL players are going to be much faster, stronger, more developed and more talented
• Seems to get pushed back by bull rush
• Lack of experience...TE convert with only 1.5 seasons on the OL (let alone LT)
  • Still transforming body type
  • Similar to Pinter, who has taken a couple of years to develop)
• Shorter arms than most LTs
• Not as powerful
• Athletic, but not as agile as other LT prospects
• Injury concerns or medical red flags
  • Was it true that some teams took him off the board?
  • What is the injury issue?

But after watching the Missouri tape, Raimann is absolutely a mauler in the run game...and likes his pancakes. So he should fit in nicely. With Raimann, the Colts OL is truly IHOP.

 

Hard to imagine the plan is to immediately put him on Ryan's blindside, but we will see. Overall, I think he's a (literally) big project, but the Colts didn't pay for a finished product.

 

But even if he doesn't develop as a LT, he definitely looks the part of a decent G with his run-blocking. So I think it's a solid pick, just not quite the steal that PFF seems to think.

[DougDew]

9 minutes ago, shasta519 said:

Injury concerns or medical red flags

• Was it true that some teams took him off the board?
• What is the injury issue?

 

Its not so much an injury as it is a medical condition.  Privacy has made it difficult to find, but the rumor is chronic knee tendinitis.  That's the rumor.

 

I think that is the reason he dropped, not some of those other reasons you mentioned.

[shasta519]

39 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Its not so much an injury as it is a medical condition.  Privacy has made it difficult to find, but the rumor is chronic knee tendinitis.  That's the rumor.

 

I think that is the reason he dropped, not some of those other reasons you mentioned.

 

Those are just my reasons, but teams don't really draft older prospects early, especially ones that lack experience and are still somewhat projects. As of 2018, the average age was 21.7, and it continues to trend downward. We are talking about a gap of 3 years.

 

Reminds me of Brady Christensen last year...who was an All-American at BYU and also went in a very similar part of the draft. (CAR just drafted a LT at #6).

 

I think Raimann was probably a better prospect, but it's not like he was a consensus 1st round pick (at least in terms of mock drafts). He was #43 OVR (per NFL Mock Draft Database). 

 

So either the mock draft industry was a bit too high on him or the medical condition gave teams pause. Since it was only a round, either would make sense.

 

Honestly though, if the rumor is true and that is why he dropped, that would make me a bit lower on him as a long-term solution. An older, developmental LT prospect with chronic knee tendonitis doesn't exactly scream long-term franchise LT.

 

But I still think he's a solid pick to provide OL depth. 

 

[DougDew]

41 minutes ago, shasta519 said:

 

Those are just my reasons, but teams don't really draft older prospects early, especially ones that lack experience and are still somewhat projects. As of 2018, the average age was 21.7, and it continues to trend downward. We are talking about a gap of 3 years.

 

Reminds me of Brady Christensen last year...who was an All-American at BYU and also went in a very similar part of the draft. (CAR just drafted a LT at #6).

 

I think Raimann was probably a better prospect, but it's not like he was a consensus 1st round pick (at least in terms of mock drafts). He was #43 OVR (per NFL Mock Draft Database). 

 

So either the mock draft industry was a bit too high on him or the medical condition gave teams pause. Since it was only a round, either would make sense.

 

Honestly though, if the rumor is true and that is why he dropped, that would make me a bit lower on him as a long-term solution. An older, developmental LT prospect with chronic knee tendonitis doesn't exactly scream long-term franchise LT.

 

But I still think he's a solid pick to provide OL depth. 

 

If he misses games, its why you want to have a solid backup in Pryor to start a few.

 

A 3rd round pick to get some quality time his rookie year, then 3 or 4 solid years as a starter.  Its long enough.  Any more years out of that is a bonus, IMO.

[gspdx]

On 4/30/2022 at 1:51 AM, el duderino said:

beeing from austria, I am kinda excited we got him!!! 

 

got to love Lloyd Christmas!

[holeymoley99]

https://www.colts.com/news/bernhard-raimann-austria-foreign-exchange-delton-michigan-rollie-tyden-ferris

[EastStreet]

On 5/2/2022 at 11:02 AM, shasta519 said:

My thoughts. Raimann really seems like a guy you can root for. Love his story.

 

But he was available in the 3rd round for a reason:

• Going to be a 25 year-old rookie
  • How does that impact his ceiling?
• Played against guys that are 3-5 years younger and played in the MAC
  • NFL players are going to be much faster, stronger, more developed and more talented
• Seems to get pushed back by bull rush
• Lack of experience...TE convert with only 1.5 seasons on the OL (let alone LT)
  • Still transforming body type
  • Similar to Pinter, who has taken a couple of years to develop)
• Shorter arms than most LTs
• Not as powerful
• Athletic, but not as agile as other LT prospects
• Injury concerns or medical red flags
  • Was it true that some teams took him off the board?
  • What is the injury issue?

But after watching the Missouri tape, Raimann is absolutely a mauler in the run game...and likes his pancakes. So he should fit in nicely. With Raimann, the Colts OL is truly IHOP.

 

Hard to imagine the plan is to immediately put him on Ryan's blindside, but we will see. Overall, I think he's a (literally) big project, but the Colts didn't pay for a finished product.

 

But even if he doesn't develop as a LT, he definitely looks the part of a decent G with his run-blocking. So I think it's a solid pick, just not quite the steal that PFF seems to think.

 

I'm not really worried about age. He didn't start playing FB until 14, and did so across the pond at G. The fact he played TE those years, and didn't have all the weight he has now, is likely a benefit from a wear and tear perspective. And there are a ton of TE to OL converts in the league, so not really worried about that. I listed a bunch last year, and it surprised even me. The compulsory year in Austria's armed forces slowed his development (weight especially) I'm sure, but also a rest on the body.

 

Overall, just not that concerned. I'd be very happy if we simply got 8 years out of him as a starter or quality backup. And honestly, you never know what position he might end up at. Pinter was a TE turned OT, that played OC for us a bit last year, and will likely end up at guard. Rainmann was all-MAC, and IMO projects more likely to tackle than Pinter, but could go either way. 

 

As far as the measurables, I've included the RAS below for the 1st OT taken in the draft (Ekwonu), and also for Braden Smith. 

Strength wise (bench), and agility (shuttle and 3 cone), Raimann measured better that Ekwonu. Ekwonu's only clear advantage is in the 40, which I'm not so concerned about. Not saying Rainmann will be as good or better than Ekwonu, just noting the measurables.