Austria’s Bernhard Raimann drafted by the Indianapolis Colts

| 2022 NFL Draft | 04/30/2022

After being projected as a first-round pick by many experts Central Michigan product Bernhard Raimann of Austria was forced to wait until the 77th overall pick in the third round before being selected by the Indianapolis Colts.

The 6’6″ 305 pound tackle is a product of the Vienna Vikings youth program in Austria. After playing receiver and tight end for one of Europe’s best programs, Raimann played high school football as an exchange student in Michigan and picked up an offer from the CMU Chippewas.

The slim Austrian began his NCAA career as a tight end before moving to the offensive line in 2020. After only playing the position for one season he earned all-conference honors.

The nimble big man graded out as the country’s second-best lineman this past season according to PFF and was named the Mid-American Conference player of the year following a dominant season for Central Michigan. On top of his rare feat of winning player of the year as a lineman, Raimann was also named All-American.

The former tight end followed up his excellent season with a solid performance at the Senior Bowl. Then one month later graded out as one of the most athletic tackles at the NFL Combine.

Raimann now becomes the third Austrian currently in the NFL joining Bernhard Seikovits of the Arizona Cardinals and Sandro Platzgummer of the New York Giants. He is the only Austrian player to ever be drafted.

Read more about Raimann here.

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and