Is starting spot of recent Colts draft pick in jeopardy after NFL draft?
Is starting spot of recent Colts draft pick in jeopardy after NFL draft?
Paul Bretl, Colts WireWed, May 6, 2026 at 9:36 AM UTC
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Is Indianapolis Colts' third-year offensive line man Matt Goncalves' starting spot at right guard in jeopardy after the 2026 NFL draft?
In the fourth round, the Colts selected Kentucky offensive lineman Jalen Farmer, who could push Goncalves for playing time.
Farmer started at right guard the last two seasons, and was a well-rounded blocker up front, grading out well in the run game by PFF's metrics, while also surrendering only 14 pressures and three sacks over 457 pass-blocking snaps in 2025.
Why is Matt Goncalves' starting spot potentially in jeopardy
Beyond what Farmer could add to the Colts' offensive line unit, more consistency is needed up front. During Chris Ballard's pre-draft press conference, he said, "We're going to bet on some development," referencing Goncalves and Jalen Travis, which may tell us that neither is a lock to be a starter.
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Goncalves, a college tackle who was moved to right guard last season, held his own in the run game, ranking 32nd out of 83 eligible guards. As a collective unit last season, the Colts struggled to carve out regular running lanes for Jonathan Taylor.
In pass protection, he surrendered 34 pressures -- the 12th-most among all guards -- and two sacks, ranking tied for 50th in PFF's pass blocking efficiency metric.
Goncalves may not be on the hot seat just yet, but depending on how training camp unfolds, it could start to warm up.
Consistent success for any offense begins up front with the quarterback having time and there being room for the running back to operate. Regardless of what the configuration looks like, the Colts should be in search of their best starting five combination up front.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Is Matt Goncalves' starting job in jeopardy with Colts picking Jalen Farmer?
Source: “AOL Breaking”
