The Colts announced a contract extension for right tackle Braden Smith on Wednesday.
Smith, 25, started 43 games for the Colts at right tackle from 2018-2020. He was selected in the second round (37th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft, one pick after the Colts drafted two-time first-team All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard.
The 6-foot-6, 312 pound Smith primarily played right guard in college at Auburn, but the work he and the Colts put him developed him into one of the NFL's most dependable right tackles over the last few years.
"Any time you work at a position for three years you are going to feel pretty good at it," Smith said this spring. "I definitely feel comfortable and every day getting more comfortable getting the reps, getting the technique down and just keep improving every year."
Smith was one of three tackles to play at least 900 snaps and not allow a sack in 2020, according to Pro Football Focus. He was also one of only five tackles to be charged with allowing one or fewer quarterback hits last season.
"If you're naming one of the guys who I think is one of the better right tackles in the league, it's Braden Smith," coach Frank Reich said in December. "The way he is playing this year, he is playing lights out. He has been a model of consistency through every game. I'm not sure he's had a bad day in practice or on Sunday, so the guy is a stud."
