Colts' Tanor Bortolini Expects to Find 'Long-Term Success' in Indy

The Indianapolis Colts believe they have drafted the next great Wisconsin lineman in Tanor Bortolini.

Wisconsin offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini (63) blocks Rutgers defensive lineman Mayan Ahanotu (92). / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Certain college football programs are known for producing high-level NFL players at specific positions.

Ohio State and LSU are considered factories for wide receivers. The same can be said about Iowa and tight ends. For Wisconsin, they are known for their history of very talented offensive linemen.

The Indianapolis Colts hope they found the next great Wisconsin offensive lineman with their fourth-round pick. The Colts selected Tanor Bortolini with the No.117 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Bortolini is the first offensive lineman from Wisconsin that Chris Ballard, who played at Wisconsin, has drafted in his tenure as general manager.

"It was really great talking to (Ballard)," Bortolini said on Saturday. "He just said, 'Excited to have you on board. Wisconsin breeds great lineman, everyone had great things to say about you, and we couldn't be more excited to have you be a part of this franchise.' And I'm really excited to be a part of it."

“I’m like shaking right now.”@TanorBortolini gets his phone call. 📞 pic.twitter.com/3zdoshg9M8

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 27, 2024

There are a lot of things that go into a school producing so much talent at one position. Much of it has to do with the coaching staff and their scheme, looking for particular talent at those positions. But Bortolini thinks it runs deeper than that. The history of a program comes into play as well.

"I think it's just the culture that's been instilled throughout each generation of linemen that's come through (Wisconsin)," Bortolini remarked. "You look back at that wall (in the offensive line room) and there's really great players that have been coming out of there for the past 40 years. So just to be a part of that for one is huge. I take great pride in that."

When Bortolini reached Wisconsin in 2020, he quickly realized what the program was all about. The offensive line group was very talented, but they also put in the work. The time, effort, and dedication they put into their craft were noticeable. Bortolini took that to heart and found himself in a position later in his career at Wisconsin to pass that along to the underclassmen.

"I think that the standard that those players set all that time ago is passed down," Bortolini revealed. "They kind of passed down what it takes to succeed, what it takes to be great, and I think it's something that's carried on throughout all these years and I think that's why it has a tradition and history that it does."

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While Bortolini was a leader off the field at Wisconsin, he was a beast on the field. Bortolini was an incredibly versatile lineman for the Badgers, logging starts at five different positions. To become that versatile, Bortolini learned the most difficult position mentally on the line: Center.

"It started off by learning center, and that was a really big thing for me," Bortolini explained. "If I learn center, I'm able to know what everyone has to do on every play. So that put me in a position to be able to swing around like that. And then, playing small-school football, I think allowed me to get a lot of athleticism, coordination-wise, so I felt comfortable flipping stances.

"It's obviously something you have to get used to, but something I felt like the older I got, the more comfortable I felt going back and forth. ... There's little ins and outs to each one, but the more I did it, the more confident I felt in that ability. I think it's something that is really going to prove valuable at the next level."

Bortolini tallied 13 starts at center and 11 starts at guard as a Badger. No matter what position, Bortolini was technically refined and would hardly get out of position. He is a fluid athlete who can anchor against power rushers and get out in space to move defenders out of the play.

Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini (63). / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bortolini showed his fantastic athleticism (9.77 RAS) at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran a 4.94 40-yard dash at 6-4 and 303 pounds while also breaking the record for the fastest 3-cone drill (7.16 sec) by a center, previously held by future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce. It was an impressive showing that caught the eye of Colts' offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. Bortolini's athleticism combined with high-level intelligence was an enticing combination for Sparano.

"(Sparano) said that if he could get his hands on me, he'd be really really excited to work with a guy like me," Bortolini recalled. "Got a call again from him after the draft. He's like, 'I'm ecstatic, you know I've been telling you this ever since we started talking that if I could get a hold of you I would.' And so it's really great to kind of see it come full circle and I'm really excited to work with him."

Sparano will now have the opportunity to mold Bortolini into a vital member of the Colts' offensive line. Not only will Bortolini get the chance to learn from Sparano, but he can lean on Pro Bowlers Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly as mentors. Bortolini feels learning from players of Nelson and Kelly's caliber will be invaluable.

"I think those are two guys that you watch and you want to be able to have careers like those two," Bortolini said with admiration. "They've done it for a long time at an extremely high level and they're some of the best to do it at their respective positions. So, to be able to work with guys like that, you can learn a lot from those two, what they do to put themselves in positions to be as good and as successful as they are, and I'm really excited to get to know and get to work with them."

The Colts view Bortolini as having the potential to be a long-term starter on the offensive line. Bortolini will likely start as a depth piece at both guard and center. With Kelly and Will Fries in the final year of their deals, Bortolini could end up a starter in Indy as early as 2025. Until then, the Wisconsin product is ready to contribute wherever needed and contribute at a high level.

"Whatever they need me to be, I feel like anywhere on the interior I'm very capable of playing and playing at a high level," Bortolini admitted. "Whatever they see for the long-term plan for me, I'm more than excited to be a part of and I think I can really be a guy that finds a lot of long-term success and can really solidify myself in one of those starting jobs that I can do it and do it at a high level."

With any luck, Bortolini will become the next great Wisconsin offensive lineman in the NFL. If that occurs, the long-term success in Indy is sure to follow.

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