The Colts didn’t just find a replacement at center in 2025 - they may have found their next cornerstone in the trenches.
Second-year center Tanor Bortolini emerged as one of the NFL’s most improved offensive linemen this past season, according to Pro Football Focus, and it’s not hard to see why. With longtime starter Ryan Kelly departing in free agency, the Colts handed the keys to the fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin - and Bortolini didn’t just hold his own. He thrived.
Let’s rewind for a moment. In 2024, Bortolini got a brief taste of NFL action, stepping in for the oft-injured Kelly.
He logged eight appearances and 351 snaps, finishing with a modest 66.8 PFF grade. He was steady, not spectacular - the kind of performance that hinted at potential but didn’t scream “future star.”
Fast forward to 2025, and that potential turned into production. Bortolini started all 16 games and anchored a Colts offensive line that quietly put together one of the most efficient campaigns in the league.
Indianapolis finished with the second-best pass-blocking grade and fourth-best run-blocking grade in the NFL, per PFF. And Bortolini was right in the middle of it - literally and figuratively.
His numbers tell the story. Over 566 pass-blocking snaps, Bortolini didn’t allow a single sack.
He gave up just 17 pressures and five quarterback hits, a level of protection that speaks to both his technique and awareness. But where he really made his mark was in the run game.
His 88.2 run-blocking grade ranked third among all centers, trailing only Miami’s Aaron Brewer and Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey - two of the best in the business. He also ranked third in positively graded run-play rate at 19.4%, showing just how consistently he was winning at the point of attack.
That’s elite territory for a guy who entered the season with just one partial year of experience under his belt.
What makes Bortolini’s rise even more impressive is the context. Replacing a veteran like Ryan Kelly - a former Pro Bowler and the anchor of the Colts’ line since 2016 - is no small task.
Kelly, now with the Vikings, was limited to just eight starts in 2025 due to recurring concussions. The Colts had to make a tough call in moving on from him, but based on Bortolini’s breakout season, it looks like they made the right one.
Bortolini didn’t just match Kelly’s production - he surpassed it. His 82.6 overall PFF grade edged out Kelly’s 82.2, and he did it while playing every game, staying healthy, and holding down the middle of an offensive line that quietly became one of the team’s few consistent units.
And that’s important to note, because while the Colts’ season ended in disappointment - a late-season collapse derailing any playoff hopes - Bortolini’s emergence was a rare and much-needed bright spot. In a year where the team struggled to find its footing, the 23-year-old center gave them something solid to build around.
The Colts have long been known for developing offensive line talent, and Bortolini looks like the next name in that lineage. If he continues to grow as a pass protector to match his already top-tier run-blocking ability, he has the tools to become one of the league’s premier centers.
For now, he’s earned his spot - and then some. The Colts may not have found their next franchise quarterback yet, but they’ve locked down the guy who’ll be snapping to him.