The Colts’ wide receiver competition may look like a straight depth-chart fight, but the real deciding factor could end up being something a little less glamorous: kick returning.
Alec Pierce and Josh Downs are already set as the top two targets, but everything after them is still very much in motion. That uncertainty has kept the position group under a microscope all offseason, especially with the Colts trying to sort out who belongs behind their established names and who can carve out a role before roster cuts arrive.
At the center of it all is a crowded race for the third receiver spot. Ashton Dulin, Laquan Treadwell, Anthony Gould, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Coleman Owen, and Deion Burks are all in the mix, and the battle doesn’t stop at simple receiver snaps. The Colts’ final wideout spot may be decided by special teams value, not just who runs the cleanest routes.
Dulin has the kind of Colts experience that usually carries weight in these kinds of fights, while Westbrook-Ikhine brings plenty of NFL mileage too. If Dulin locks down the No. 3 job, it would not be a shock to see Treadwell and Westbrook-Ikhine follow him into the next two spots. After that, the picture gets murky fast.
That’s where Gould enters the conversation. He has two years of experience mostly as a kick returner, though he is listed as a wide receiver, and that background gives him a leg up on Owen and Burks.
On most NFL rosters, the last couple of receivers are also expected to handle kick returns, which makes this more than just a battle for one spot. In practical terms, Gould, Owen, and Burks are fighting for two jobs, and only one of them is likely to come with both.
Gould’s experience makes him the likeliest of the group to stick, but even that isn’t locked in if he slips. Beyond him, the Colts may be looking at Burks and Owen and asking which one can separate himself as a return man.
That’s why Burks still has a path. He may not win a place at receiver alone, but if he proves himself on special teams and outperforms Owen or even Gould before the offseason ends, he could still make the 53-man roster without needing to win the wideout battle outright.
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