CJ Allen didn’t get on the field in Week 1, and that alone says plenty about where the Colts are right now with their Day 2 draft process.
The rookie linebacker was inactive against the Baltimore Ravens in the sense that he never saw a snap, even though he still has a long runway to prove himself. But in Indianapolis, that kind of early silence has started to feel familiar. It’s the latest example in a string of second-round picks that haven’t given Chris Ballard much back.
That pattern started to harden with 2023 second-rounder JuJu Brents, who was the beginning of the recent run. It continued with 2024 pick Adonai Mitchell, and then carried into 2025 with Jaylahn Tuimoloau, who also didn’t play in Week 1 of last year. Tuimoloau has yet to show he can be a real asset for the Colts, and the source material goes as far as calling his rookie season putrid, with no real progress in training camp or in Week 1 this year.
There is one bright spot in the group: Alec Pierce, taken in the second round in 2022, has developed into a good player. But one hit in that stretch doesn’t erase the broader problem. When second-round picks are showing up as healthy scratches early in their careers, that points in one of two directions - either Ballard’s evaluation of that draft slot is off, or the Colts aren’t developing those players fast enough once they arrive.
Brents is the key piece in that conversation because his struggles began in the same year Shane Steichen became head coach. That creates at least some room to question the coaching side, too.
Steichen is an offensive coach, but as the head man he still owns the whole operation. On defense, the blame would also touch coordinator Lou Anarumo, who has been in that role for the last two years.
What makes Allen’s situation especially odd is that Steichen said after the Week 1 loss to Baltimore that the team was still trying to get him up to speed. That’s hard to square with the rest of the timeline. Allen hadn’t missed a practice since August 16 and had seen plenty of preseason action, yet he still didn’t take a snap on defense or special teams against the Ravens.
AJ Haulcy’s usage only sharpened the contrast. The third-round safety missed later practices and didn’t fully practice again until just days before Week 1, but he was on the field for every defensive snap except one. That makes Allen look less like a player who wasn’t ready and more like one who simply wasn’t trusted.
Mitchell’s exit adds another layer. The Colts moved on from him after a season and a half, sending him to the New York Jets as part of the deal that brought cornerback Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis.
Since the trade, Mitchell has looked better than he ever did with the Colts. In Week 1, he caught three passes for 60 yards.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Mitchell’s improvement is proof of Ballard’s second-round troubles, but it does underline the larger issue: Ballard spent a premium pick on a player who was not a clean fit in Shane Steichen’s offense.
If Allen turns into a good player, that would help change the story. For now, though, he looks like the latest second-round name waiting to break Ballard’s recent pattern. And if the Colts miss the playoffs again, those Day 2 misses could wind up being a major reason Chris Ballard is searching for another job next year.
In Other News...
Colts Now Face A Keenan Allen Problem The NFL Could Escalate
Keenan Allens arrival in Indianapolis was supposed to be about giving the Colts another proven target in the passing game, but now the discussion around him has shifted far away from football. The veteran wide receiver was charged with two misdemeanor counts tied to operating a vehicle while intoxicated after his arrest in downtown Indianapolis, turning what should have been an early-season roster storyline into a far more serious off-field issue for the organization.
Police said they observed signs of intoxication, and Allens breathalyzer test registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.224. Colts general manager Chris Ballard said the team is handling the matter internally, while any discipline from here would fall to the NFL, leaving Indianapolis to wait on the leagues next move while trying to keep the focus on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Youth Movement At Linebacker Already Faces An Early Test
The Colts went into the season knowing their linebacker room would need patience, but the first few weeks have already shown how steep the climb can be for a group built around rookies Bryce Boettcher, Jaylon Carlies and CJ Allen. Indianapolis is trying to develop young talent while still asking for useful snaps right away, and that push-pull has been most obvious with Allen, the teams top draft pick, who is still working through the adjustment to the speed and complexity of NFL offenses.
Linebackers coach James Bettcher has had a front-row seat to the early growing pains, and each of the three rookies is dealing with a different part of the transition. Boettcher and Carlies are getting their first taste of the leagues weekly demands, while Allen has yet to see defensive snaps as the Colts bring him along carefully. For a defense trying to stay steady now and get better later, it is an early reminder that the youth movement at linebacker may take some time to fully settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Fans Already Have A CJ Allen Question Ballard Didn't Expect
CJ Allen arrived with the kind of draft pedigree that usually invites an immediate role, and Colts general manager Chris Ballard only added to that sense by describing the second-round pick as a potential defensive communicator. But when Week 1 arrived, the plan on the field looked different. The green dot assignment went to safety Cam Bynum, while Allen stayed on the sideline and did not see action in the opener.
Now the conversation shifts quickly to what comes next. Akeem Davis-Gaither is expected to handle the green dot duties in Week 2, and the linebacker rotation appears headed toward more work for Bryce Boettcher and Jaylon Carlies as well. For a player Ballard seemed to have pegged for an important early job, Allen's first month is already starting with more questions than anyone around the Colts likely expected. [Read more 🡒]