This series was created in response to questions about why certain well-known prospects went unselected in NFL drafts. For these articles, I reach out to sources with NFL teams to find out why their organizations passed on drafting a given player, and/or, what were the reasons for other teams to pass on that prospect. The positive response to “Why Undrafted” and questions from readers about why prospects were drafted lower than the media expectations led us to create the parallel series “Why the Slide?”
Both series are back this year. Feel free to email me requests for Why the Slide? and Why Undrafted? at [email protected]. I can’t promise to get to all of them, but I will do my best and definitely will respond to the email.
During the early portion of 2022, there were a lot of media projections of Central Michigan offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann going in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The media loved his story of coming from Austria and starting out at tight end before putting on a massive amount of weight to become an offensive tackle. After a shaky Senior Bowl, Raimann slid in many projections, but some kept him in the first round throughout, including NBC’s Peter King. Those projections turned out to be off base, as Raimann slid well into the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Team sources told WalterFootball.com that Raimann slid to the third round because they saw flaws and rawness for a pass protector for the NFL. His lacking in pass protection was the biggest reason, and another significant reason was that some teams had flunked him medically and dropped him off their boards. The medical evaluations are subjective, but teams never graded Raimann as high as the media projected.
The Indianapolis Colts ended Raimann’s fall in the third round, they were a perfect landing spot for him. After Anthony Castonzo retired, the Colts had veteran Eric Fisher for one season, but they still need a long-term starter at left tackle. Raimann will have every opportunity to win that job, but the Colts also have a smart coaching staff that has been superb at developing offensive linemen. They won’t rush Raimann onto the field, and he will receive excellent tutelage to refine his technique. In time, he could become Indianapolis’ starting left tackle and playing next to potential Hall of Fame guard Quenton Nelson will make Raimann’s job easier. While Raimann’s slide could be disappointing, he could not have hoped to go to a better situation, and he could turn into a superb pro for the Colts.
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