Quenton Nelson evaluates play of Colts' RT Jalen Travis in minicamp

[ASFN Admin]

Last year, the Indianapolis Colts relied on second-year players Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves to step in for two veteran players who left in free agency.

The Colts are again going down that path in 2026, with Jalen Travis the presumed starting right tackle for the team after Braden Smith signed with the Houston Texans earlier this offseason.

Travis was the Colts' fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. He didn't see extensive playing time until Week 14, when he took over for Braden Smith.

In those games, Travis held his own, allowing one sack and 12 pressures over 175 pass-blocking snaps. He also graded out well as a run-blocker by PFF's metrics.

"I'm really impressed with him, and I thought he stepped up big for us last year," Quenton Nelson said of Travis, via Colts.com. "He's going to stay on track and be even better this year."

Travis missed time during OTAs, working through a back injury, but he was on the practice field for minicamp.

Under offensive line coach Tony Sparano, the Colts have a very strong track record of developing young offensive line talent.

Travis taking a step forward in 2026 will be crucial to the overall success of the offense. The offensive line keeping the quarterback clean and having a run game to lean on is where consistency begins.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Quenton Nelson shares early expectations for Colts OL Jalen Travis

Continue reading...