The Colts are getting called out for not having enough young talent, but a closer look at the roster tells a different story. This team has a cluster of players in their early 20s who are either already in major roles or pushing hard to get there, and several of them could shape the defense and offense this season.
Start on defense, where the youngest player on the roster is also carrying one of the biggest jobs. LB CJ Allen is just 21, yet he’s already the starting MIKE linebacker and the one calling the defense.
That kind of responsibility would be a lot for almost anyone, but it’s not unfamiliar territory for Allen. He was running the heralded Georgia defense as an 18-year-old true freshman.
There’s youth all over the secondary, too. S A.J.
Haulcy, 22, has a real shot to win the starting safety job opposite Cam Bynum. If that happens, he’ll have plenty of chances to make plays, with quarterbacks likely steering the ball away from Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward Sr. and toward the middle of the field.
Haulcy’s style should fit that setup well, since he brings hard-hitting and playmaking ability.
Another young defender who could take a step is ED Jaylahn Tuimoloau. His rookie year didn’t exactly explode out of the gate - he logged just 215 defensive snaps - but he’s in the mix to start on the edge this season. Even if Arden Key beats him out, Tuimoloau should still see a much bigger workload than he did a year ago.
The Colts also have a pair of young defensive backs working their way back from injuries. CB Justin Walley, 23, has been out for almost a year after a standout joint practice against the Baltimore Ravens ended with a torn ACL. Now healthy again, he’s in line for a huge task: replacing Kenny Moore II in the slot, where Moore had been the Colts’ longest-tenured defensive starter.
S/LB Hunter Wohler, also 23, was on a similar path before a preseason Lisfranc injury ended his season. He’s battling Haulcy for the starting strong safety job, though the more likely outcome is that he becomes a defensive complement who finds his best fit in sub-packages and other favorable alignments.
At linebacker, the Colts have another young name making noise. LB Bryce Boettcher, 24, entered a crowded picture after the team signed veteran free agent Akeem Davis-Gaither as a likely starter and then drafted both Allen and Boettcher.
Davis-Gaither still looks like the most likely starter next to Allen, giving the rookie a veteran presence beside him. Even so, Boettcher turned heads in spring ball with a pick-six in practice and several first-team reps.
It feels like a matter of time before Allen and Boettcher are the two in the middle of the defense.
Up front, C Tanor Bortolini is already drawing serious praise as one of the best young centers in football. He was Pro Football Focus’ third-ranked center in the NFL last year, and his combination of mental sharpness and athleticism has his stock climbing fast in his third season.
The offense also has a young centerpiece at tight end. TE Tyler Warren, 24, came into the league as one of the elite prospects in the 2025 draft and lived up to that billing. He’s expected to take another jump this year while he, Downs, and Alec Pierce absorb most of what Michael Pittman Jr. left behind when he was traded.
And then there’s QB Anthony Richardson Sr., also 24. His path with the Colts looks uncertain, since he may not see the field this year for Indianapolis at all.
He’s been on the trade block since February and is competing with Riley Leonard for the QB2 job behind Daniel Jones. If he does get into a game, though, he still brings the kind of big-play threat that can change things with either his arm or his legs.
In Other News...
Two Colts Additions Already Look In Trouble Before Camp Begins
Before training camp even opens, the Colts already have a couple of roster battles worth watching, and ESPNs Stephen Holder has put some early pressure on two offseason additions. In his projected 53-man roster, he leans toward keeping Laquon Treadwell at wide receiver because of his experience and special teams value, a sign that the back end of the roster may be decided as much by reliability as upside.
The same kind of squeeze appears to be building at safety, where the competition is crowded enough that every snap and every special teams rep could matter. Holders forecast reflects how little separation there may be right now, and it leaves the Colts with one more preseason question than they probably expected when those additions arrived. [Read more 🡒]
Alec Pierce Faces The Colts Season That Changes Everything
Alec Pierces next season in Indianapolis comes with a very different kind of weight after the Colts handed him a four-year, $114 million extension and cleared the path for him to become the offenses lead wideout. He has already shown the kind of downfield ability that makes him valuable in this system, and Pro Football Focus has him sitting just outside the top 20 at his position, a sign that the league is starting to view him as more than a complementary target.
What happens next matters because Pierce is no longer being paid like a role player, and the Colts are treating him like a receiver who should help define the passing game. A strong year could push him into the 15-20 range in those PFF rankings, which would be a meaningful jump for a player whose production has still left room for more. For Indianapolis, the question is whether Pierce can turn that promise into the kind of season that changes his standing around the NFL. [Read more 🡒]