Despite making three picks in Round 3, a round that annually leads to delayed rookie agreements, the Colts are finished signing their 2022 draftees.
Third-round tight end Jelani Woods (Virginia) and third-round tackle Bernhard Raimann (Central Michigan) signed their four-year rookie deals Friday, being the final members of Indianapolis’ nine-man draft class to do so. Both players will be expected to vie for first-string work this year.
The Colts obtained the Woods draft pick (No. 73) in their second Carson Wentz trade, and they gave Matt Ryan a new weapon with the Commanders pick. A 6-foot-7 prospect, Woods transferred from Oklahoma State and put together a first-team All-ACC season (44 catches, 598 yards, eight touchdowns) in 2021. The second tight end off the board, Woods will be expected to contribute early. The Colts re-signed Mo Alie-Cox but saw Jack Doyle retire. The team drafted two tight ends this year.
Raimann went to the Colts four picks later, by virtue of the trade-down maneuver the team executed with the Vikings in Round 2, and joins a position group that lost starting left tackle Eric Fisher. Raimann also has tight end experience, starting 11 games at that post at Central Michigan. He finished as a first-team All-Mid-American Conference left tackle, however, last season. Raimann joins the recently re-signed Matt Pryor as the top candidates to succeed Fisher.
Here is the Colts’ full 2022 class:
Round 2: No. 53 (from Raiders through Packers and Vikings) Alec Pierce, WR (Cincinnati)
Round 3: No. 73 (from Commanders) Jelani Woods, TE (Virginia)
Round 3: No. 77 (from Vikings) Bernhard Raimann, OT (Central Michigan)
Round 3: No. 96 (from Rams through Broncos) Nick Cross, S (Maryland)
Round 5: No. 159 Eric Johnson, DT (Missouri State)
Round 6: No. 192 (from Vikings) Andrew Ogletree, TE (Youngstown State)
Round 6: No. 216 Curtis Brooks, DT (Cincinnati)
Round 7: No. 239 Rodney Thomas, S (Yale)