Dalton Tucker's NFL debut came under unsettling circumstances last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The undrafted rookie offensive lineman watched as Will Fries – the Colts' mauling right guard – was loaded on to a cart at EverBank Stadium with a serious leg injury. The Colts were losing, 20-10, in the third quarter. The loss of a respected teammate who was playing at a high level – Fries' 86.9 Pro Football Focus grade is second-highest among guards – was jarring.
But Tucker had a job to do.
"Obviously the outcome wasn't what we wanted it to be and the situation was awful, but when I went in there, I told myself whenever I was praying for him on the field, I just prayed that I could go in there and finish the game the same way he would," Tucker said. "That's what my mindset was."
Tucker indeed finished the game the way Fries would – he allowed just one pressure on 20 pass blocking snaps the rest of the game, per Pro Football Focus. With the Colts needing to throw the ball in a wild fourth quarter, Tucker had to hold up against a talented, experienced Jaguars front. He did, and did so next to fellow rookie Tanor Bortolini, who for the second consecutive game started and succeeded at center with Ryan Kelly (neck) out.
For example: On Alec Pierce's game-tying 65-yard touchdown, both Bortolini and Tucker were singled up in pass protection. They held up, allowing quarterback Joe Flacco to step up in the pocket and deliver an on-target downfield throw to Pierce.
All Tucker and Bortolini were doing, though, was upholding the standard expected from the Colts' offensive line.
"The vision that they all have is the one I share with them, which is that they can be the best line in the NFL," offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. said. "That's the standard we have. We know how important every single member of our group is to achieving that."
Both Tucker and Bortolini credited their veteran teammates – led by Kelly, left guard Quenton Nelson and right tackle Braden Smith – with helping them be prepared for their respective NFL debuts, which came in Weeks 4 and 5 of this season. While the standard is high for the Colts' offensive line, Bortolini said his veteran teammates also stay positive with him through any inevitable rookie mistakes. And those guys are supportive of rookies in offering tips and feedback when they can, Bortolini added.
That veteran help, Sparano said, is the product of a twofold mindset: First, those vets genuinely care about the individual success of those rookies; second, guys like Kelly, Nelson and Smith understand they won't uphold their standard without the help of backups at some point during the season.
And this all leads to rookies like Tucker and Bortolini feeling comfortable stepping in when – not if – they're needed. (Sparano, too, emphasized he has a similar confidence in tackle Matt Goncalves, a 2024 third-round pick who's yet to make his NFL debut.)
"You can look at just about any line, any year in the league – it's hard to make it through 17 games," Sparano said. "Injuries happen. They're really unfortunate, they're part of the game. And we know you're only one play away from your number being called. And when it's called, the thing we're always trying to stress in there is that we're all counting on you. You gotta step in and do the job at a really high level. The standard never drops off. And so those veteran understand how critically important every guy in that room is and they understand how important the chemistry and the bond that they've built in that room is."
Tucker and Bortolini, when they've played, have been among the NFL's best rookie offensive linemen in terms of holding up in protection.
Pro Football Focus pass block grades among rookies, minimum 20 snaps:
| Player | Position | Team | Pass Blocking Snaps | Sacks allowed | Pressures allowed | PFF Pass Blocking Grade | Draft Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Tucker | G | IND | 20 | 0 | 1 | 78.4 | UDFA |
| Tanor Bortolini | C | IND | 86 | 0 | 1 | 74.9 | 4th |
| J.C. Latham | T | TEN | 146 | 1 | 9 | 72.4 | 1st |
| Troy Fautanu | T | PIT | 29 | 0 | 2 | 69.3 | 1st |
| Joe Alt | T | LAC | 80 | 2 | 3 | 68.9 | 1st |
"We feel really good about the depth in that room," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "We've got several young players that have really had a good first year, good rookie year, sort of getting used to the rigors of the NFL – going through training camp and all that stuff. Coach Tony Sparano (Jr.) does such a great job with them. They prepare so hard, and he prepares the whole group so hard. Those guys push each other. We feel good sort of like about our depth and moving forward. That's obviously going to be an important part of our season and a bunch of good, young players in that in that room that we like."
Pending Kelly's status for Week 6, the Colts will have a decision to make at right guard going forward with Fries on injured reserve. Bortolini played both guard and center during the preseason, while Tucker stepped in off the bench for Fries in Week 5. Both players have played well when given an opportunity this year. But whoever steps in will be filling some big shoes – it shouldn't be understated just how well Fries was playing this year, and just how important his physicality was for setting a tone up front for the Colts.
Still, whether it's Tucker or Bortolini, both players understand what the standard is – and what it'll take to keep pushing this line toward its goal of being the NFL's best.
And so far, through five games, the Colts' offensive line has been just that: Their 85.4 Pro Football Focus grade is No. 1 in the NFL.
"We have a really talented group and these guys have been playing at a really high level for a long time," Bortolini said. "When somebody has to step up, there's no drop-off. It's not acceptable to have a drop-off. If you want to be the best in the NFL, everybody in the room has to rise to that level and rise to the occasion when their number's called."
