How former Penn State football OL Will Fries plans to utilize his versatility in the NFL
Will Fries knew what to expect going into the 2021 NFL Draft. He was unlikely to be picked until the third day of the three-day event and didn’t know where he was going to end up.
When the phone call finally came for the former Penn State offensive lineman in the seventh round, so did a whirlwind of emotions.
“It didn’t matter where I went,” Fries told the Centre Daily Times. “I’m just thankful to get an opportunity. Getting the phone call was just amazing. It was something I’ll never forget. It was incredible to talk to (Colts general manager Chris) Ballard and (Colt head coach Frank) Reich on the phone and having my family and friends around to share that moment with was really, really special.”
The chaos led to Fries going to the Colts at pick No. 248, where he’s looking to continue his growth as he chases a spot on Indianapolis’ roster with the backing of the versatility he brings to the offensive line.
While Ballard made the final call to Fries and Reich will be his head coach, he originally caught the eye of one of the team’s area scouts — Mike Derice — who first saw Fries in 2018 as a Nittany Lion.
He took note of the offensive lineman — who at the time played both left and right tackle — because he had the size to play in the NFL down the road.
“We kind of mark those guys down,” Derice told the CDT. “They’re not available for us that season, so you get an early look and think of him as a guy you want to watch his junior season and follow his career from that point on. ... I was a little surprised that he was still there in the seventh round. We did like him higher than that, but it just fell the way it did. We were thankful that it fell that way.”
That process made him a desirable pick for Derice and Indianapolis. He presented options for any team he went to. He can play inside, he can play outside and he’s willing to put the work in to learn all five positions.
He’d already done that, playing three different positions — left tackle, right tackle and right guard — at Penn State, but there’s still an adjustment to the NFL level. He’s trying to make those strides and learn how to play each offensive line spot at the level necessary to have success with the Colts.
The versatility will not be fruitful if it doesn’t come with competency. That means the ability to learn quickly — an attribute Derice said Fries has — is crucial so he can play several spots effectively.
That began in rookie mini-camp, where Fries showed off his ability to play multiple positions. He’s already embraced what his role could be and put his ability to pick up positions quickly to the test.
“That’s kind of what I’ve been doing — working at all five spots,” Fries said. “I’m just working on the technique and continuing to learn the playbook. I’m just learning from the older guys, my role right now is to keep learning and keep getting better.”
The willingness to put the team first shouldn’t come as a surprise in Indianapolis. The character he showed in the pre-draft process was a major plus in Derice’s eyes.
He could see the intelligence and willingness to help the team shine through when he spoke to the former Penn Stater, and that made him ideal for where he could play in the NFL.
“If you’re not going to be one of the main starters on an NFL team, you need versatility,” Derice said. “That sixth offensive lineman, that seventh offensive lineman, they’re pivotal. Guys do get hurt and you want a guy that — at least in the early stages — will be able to play and not worry too much about the learning curve. ... You go through the interview process and you can tell that he’s a highly intelligent football player. I harp on the mental aspect of it because when you hear him about football and his responsibilities, he’s pretty special in that regard. He knows football, he knows offensive line play.”
Fries has the skill set to fill that role in Indianapolis and will have a chance to prove himself as he continues to navigate the first offseason of his professional career. His length and size match up to that of other NFL offensive lineman, but it was that mental aspect of the prospect that impressed Derice and the Colts the most.
It was apparent early on that he had the physical capabilities to carry out his tasks as a lineman, and it became clear that he also had the mental wherewithal to get the job done and to do it efficiently.
Now it’s time for him to marry the on-field play with the mental aspect to maximize his ability and turn himself into an NFL-caliber player with the Colts. For the time being, Fries just wants to do whatever it takes to keep improving.
“(My goal is) to just get better every single day,” Fries said. “I think that’s really important. It’s important to keep chipping away. The first year is a lot thrown at you — different techniques, the playbook and all of that — but I just want to get better every single day. Just continue to learn from older guys, absorb all of that information. Pick up different tools and techniques that those guys use and try to add them to my game and see what works for me and really just become the best player I can in year one.”
