A seventh-round afterthought who turned a versatile Penn State resume into a full-time starting job and a nine-figure payday.
Will Fries was the very last pick the Colts made in the 2021 draft, and few expected much from a 248th overall selection. Instead, he clawed his way into a starting guard role in Indianapolis and cashed in with one of the bigger interior-line contracts of the 2025 offseason.
Path to the league
Fries started all over the Penn State offensive line, logging games at right tackle, left tackle, right guard and left guard between 2017 and 2020, and earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors as a senior. The Colts took him in the seventh round, 248th overall, in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
After an unremarkable rookie year, Fries won the backup guard job in 2022 and eventually took over as Indianapolis' starting right guard from Week 9 of that season onward. He became one of the more underrated interior linemen in the league, a late-round find who developed into a full-time starter.
2025 season recap
Fries' 2025 season with the Colts ended early due to a season-ending injury, but his body of work through that point had already established him as one of the league's better guards. That performance carried real value in free agency, where he landed a five-year, $88 million contract.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Will Fries
- Pro Football Reference: Will Fries
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Penn State
- Hometown
- Cranford, NJ, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
