Colts GM: Anthony Castonzo 'was a top-five left tackle', replacing him won't be easy

Castonzo was the team's 2011 first-round pick and started at left tackle for a decade

By Jared Dubin

Apr 23, 2021 at 2:55 pm ET • 1 min read

MSA/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Every NFL team comes into the draft with certain needs. For the worst teams, there are many. For the best, there are maybe one or two. With the Indianapolis Colts, their most obvious needs are pass-rush depth, and left tackle. Indianapolis is in need of a tackle, of course, because its starter for the last decade, Anthony Castonzo, retired earlier this offseason.

In a pre-draft Q&A session with reporters, general manager Chris Ballard admitted that the task of replacing Castonzo is a difficult one, while also singing the praises of a player who was selected with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and then held down the blind side of the offensive line for 10 years, playing and starting 144 of a possible 160 games.

"I don't think he's ever gotten enough credit for how really special he was as a player," Ballard said. "He stood for everything we wanted to stand for, Anthony did. And he was good. I mean, I always thought he was a top-five left tackle in the league. I think we paid him accordingly -- that told you what we thought of him. And he performed.

"So, that's not going to be an easy replacement. Saying that, I mean, I think I've [said] all along, that I think we've got four really good linemen -- before free agency started. We've signed a couple veterans. [Sam] Tevi, who's started a lot of games for the Chargers. Julien [Davenport]'s played in this league. And we think they're good players. We will create competition at left tackle and we'll get the best five players on the field."

It's been widely rumored that the Colts will use their first-round pick (No. 21 overall) on a tackle to replace Castonzo. If you head over to our mock draft page, Oklahoma State's Teven Jenkins and Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw each show up in that slot once.

But if Ballard and company feel good about Tevi and Davenport filling that role, perhaps they could go in another direction. Edge rusher, as mentioned, is a need as well, and you could argue they have a need at wide receiver. Building out the roster as patiently as they have allows the Colts to go in a number of different directions, even if it seems like filling one particular spot should be their most pressing concern.