Helping a Colts Rookie QB: How Braden Smith Can Improve in 2023

Braden Smith has been a stalwart for the Indianapolis Colts' offensive line for years now, but there's always room for improvement.

The right tackle position for the Indianapolis Colts hasn’t been the roller coaster through recent years as its left counterpart. This is due to the consistently solid play of current right tackle Braden Smith.

He’s been at the spot since 2018 out of Auburn and has had injuries from time to time. Ultimately, he’s seen more of the field than not and has played well.

Even in a brutally rough 2022, Smith still was one of the most reliable players on the front. There were many struggles around him, bridging over to other spots. Smith even briefly played right guard to try to secure better protection up the middle for the various QBs that played for Indianapolis.

With the final piece of the series set up, let’s take the dive that the previous four have. Following will be what Smith did well/should continue doing from the 2022 season and what he can improve on for this year.

There will also be the stats laid out that include sacks allowed, QB hits, hurries, and total penalties. A Colts rookie quarterback will need Smith’s services to play comfortably. Let’s get into the numbers first.

The Numbers

• Games: 16
• Sacks Allowed: 7
• QB Hits: 7
• QB Hurries: 16
• Total Penalties: 10

Smith was graded by Pro Football Focus as the best blocker on the Colts’ offensive line, notching a 75.5 overall. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann would place second at 73.3 and guard Quenton Nelson third at 68.4. Given that there was a multitude of issues at right guard until Will Fries stepped in, it shows even greater how efficient Smith was for such a bad offensive line.

We will start with the light side of things. Let’s see what Smith needs to keep doing.

What Went Well

In short, Smith had a great year at right tackle. He was first on the team, not only in overall blocking grades but also in the run/pass blocking marks (75.0 run; 75.9 pass). These numbers show his consistency in both areas of the Colts’ offense, which should make any rookie signal-caller happy.

Not to mention, he also finished tied 3rd with Raimann in QB hurries with 16 and was third in offensive snaps taken (1,066). Only Nelson (1,148) and center Ryan Kelly (1,092) had more appearances. Also, they were the only three to eclipse the 1,000 count, showing the constantly moving parts at left tackle and right guard.

With arguably the best year of any Colts offensive lineman, it’ll be difficult to notch many takes on what to improve. However, there are areas. Let’s get into it.

What Can Improve

Leading the team in sacks allowed is never a happy day for anyone. Smith tied with Raimann for this at 7. He was also the team leader in QB hits with 7. These numbers can’t continue with a completely fresh face under center bound for the Colts on April 27.

Something else to look for is the team-leading 10 penalties. This could have been coaching and QB changes, cadence shifts with the different quarterbacks, his left side having raw players in the spot, etc. However, these need to be cleaned up heading into the 2023 season to limit halting the offense moving down the field.

Outlook

Smith is a great right tackle; that’s not in doubt. In some cases, he’s excellent and doesn’t get the attention or recognition he deserves. Regardless of that, he will look to build on what was overall a good year in 2022 for him.

With stability coming at the right guard spot, this will help him with all of the aforementioned areas to work on. Throw in just one quarterback playing for a season (hopefully), and the consistency will play its course, helping Smith increase production.

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