With the Indianapolis Colts now through their first preseason game, the picture at 53 players is getting a lot sharper. The joint practice and the game itself clearly carried real weight in the evaluation process, and a few roster battles shifted because of what happened over the last several days.
At quarterback, the projection keeps Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson. The longer this goes on, the more Richardson looks like he’s staying put, especially after what the source described as a good overall preseason showing. He also appears to be in a strong spot in the backup quarterback competition.
The backfield changes more noticeably. Jonathan Taylor and Seth McGowan are in, and Ulysses Bentley replaces DJ Giddens. Giddens has been dealing with injury recently, while Bentley brings a receiving element out of the backfield that the offense could use.
At receiver, the six projected names are Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Laquon Treadwell. Coleman Owen made noise as a returner in the preseason game and could still threaten Gould’s spot, but the fact that Gould didn’t get any attempts suggests he’s in a strong position.
Tight end stays at four with Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory. Mallory has been making his presence felt lately as a pass catcher in both practice and the preseason game, and the idea here is that Shane Steichen needs to create more chances for him this season.
Up front, the offensive line projection includes Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves, Jalen Travis, Jalen Farmer, Dalton Tucker, Luke Tenuta and Blake Freeland. Freeland and Tenuta look like the first tackle options off the bench. Farmer has been working with the second unit at both guard spots, while Tucker is in the mix for the backup center job.
The defensive line gets 10 spots: Laiatu Latu, Arden Key, Jaylahn Tuimoloau, Micheal Clemons, George Gumbs, Caden Curry, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Colby Wooden and Adetomiwa Adebawore. That means only four defensive tackles make the cut, and neither Derrick Nnadi nor Jerry Tillery did enough in the preseason game to force the issue.
Linebacker is projected to include CJ Allen, Bryce Boettcher, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Jaylon Carlies and Austin Ajiake. Carlies and Ajiake have both been getting opportunities as the Colts rotate heavily at the position, and both can contribute on special teams.
The cornerback group has Charvarius Ward, Sauce Gardner, Justin Walley, Johnathan Edwards, Cam Taylor-Britt and Mekhi Blackmon. The depth behind the top three has been uneven at times this week, with Blackmon and Edwards both experiencing their share of ups and downs between the joint practice and the preseason game.
At safety, the four projected names are Cam Bynum, AJ Haulcy, Hunter Wohler and Jonathan Owens. The roster math only leaves room for four, matching the number the team carried to open last season. Owens is expected to be a key special teams piece.
Special teams rounds it out with Rigoberto Sanchez, Luke Rhodes and Blake Grupe. Grupe still has the edge based on overall performance, though Spencer Shrader closed the gap in the preseason game.
In Other News...
Colts Camp Sleeper Is Forcing A Tough Backfield Decision
Anderson Castle has gone from undrafted rookie to one of the more interesting names in Colts camp, thanks to a strong start that has earned him real attention in the backfield race. After showing promise in training camp and carrying that momentum into the first preseason game, Castle has given Indianapolis something it did not necessarily expect from a player whose college role never suggested this kind of sudden push.
He is still trying to break through behind Jonathan Taylor, Seth McGowan and DJ Giddens, which makes the next few weeks important for his roster case. Castles path will come down to whether he keeps flashing in the preseason and convinces the Colts there is room for one more back, with the final decisions likely to determine whether this early surge turns into a spot on the team. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Richardson And Caden Curry Put Colts Fans On Notice
The Colts got a first look at their preseason opener against the Patriots, and the 13-13 tie came with enough big swings to give the coaching staff plenty to sort through. Anthony Richardson Sr. flashed the kind of playmaking that has kept Indianapolis hopeful about his next step, while rookie defensive end Caden Curry also made his presence felt on a night that featured turnovers, key stops and field goals from New Englands Andy Borregales.
Richardsons rushing touchdown was the headline moment on offense, and Currys showing gave the Colts another encouraging sign on the other side of the ball. Preseason results rarely tell the full story, but Indianapolis left the field with a reminder that there is still upside on both sides of the line, and that a few young players are already pushing to make this roster harder to sort out. [Read more 🡒]