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With the 149th pick in the 5th round, the Indianapolis Colts have selected Ball State offensive guard Danny Pinter.
The 6’4”, 306 pound redshirt senior started all 12 games at right tackle for the Cardinals last season—earning All Mid-American Conference First-Team honors and was awarded the John Magnabosco Team Award (which is given annually to Ball State’s most outstanding player).
The South Bend, Indiana native was a tight end his first two seasons at Ball State but converted to right tackle, where he has started 24 games for the Cardinals over the past two years.
Pinter ran a 4.91 forty time, had 24 bench press reps, and recorded a broad jump of 110.0 inches at the NFL Combine.
His SPARQ rating (which measures overall athleticism) is in the 66.7% NFL percentile (good for 10th best in his entire offensive line draft class). His RAS [Relative Athletic Score] is 9.61 (indicating he’s an elite level athlete).
With his tight end background, Pinter has demonstrated good athleticism and quickness for the position, with the ability to play in space and get to the second level of defenses:
Ball State's Danny Pinter is an intriguing prospect. Went from tight end to right tackle now likely to guard in the NFL.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) April 2, 2020
Good athlete, makes blocks in space, understands angles, adjusts on the fly. Crack toss pull. Adjusts his path, squares up, and finishes the LB. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/uDRuoaxt8W
He also has been highly regarded for his competitiveness and plays with a mean streak.
Here’s what Pro Football Focus has said on Pinter’s selection:
Pinter converted from tight end to tackle in 2018 and became one of the FBS’ best tackles in 2019, posting an elite 91.2 overall grade. Most of his success came as a run-blocker, as he posted the fifth-highest run-blocking grade in college football in his second season ever at tackle. This was a nice selection by Indianapolis and is going to add to their already great offensive line.
However, as a still developing offensive lineman, he’ll need to show improved technique, better balance, and will need to get stronger at the next level. If he had longer arms, Pinter would’ve projected as an NFL offensive tackle, but instead he’ll kick into the interior.
This is the first offensive lineman that the Colts have selected during draft weekend, and Pinter should provide additional interior offensive line depth to a unit that could really use his versatility (perhaps in a Joe Haeg-like role going forward).