The Colts have their 53-man roster in place, but Chris Ballard’s work is far from finished. Next comes the waiver wire, and then the grind of building out the practice squad, where most of the 16 spots figure to go to players who were already in camp.
That leaves room for a few outside additions, but the bulk of the group should come from familiar faces. Based on how training camp and the preseason unfolded, here’s a look at the players Indianapolis would likely want back.
Ulysses Bentley is one of the more interesting names on the list. The running back may have pushed himself into 53-man consideration with a strong camp, and his ability to contribute as a pass-catcher out of the backfield gives him a real selling point.
Anthony Gould also fits as a candidate to return. The former draft pick can help in the slot and brings return value, which keeps him useful even if he’s not cracking the active roster.
Raylen Sharpe made his case in the preseason by getting plenty of attention in two of the three games. In Weeks 1 and 3, he caught six of nine passes for 41 yards, and most of his work came from the slot.
At tight end, Pharaoh Brown looks like the kind of veteran depth piece the Colts could lean on early. With Will Mallory on IR, Brown could be a game-day elevation option right away.
The offensive line group also has a few practice-squad possibilities. Nolan Rucci is the kind of tackle prospect worth keeping around for development, while Josh Sills was on the fringe and showed some versatility by working at guard, center and tackle during the preseason.
On the defensive side, Cameron Ball stands out as a developmental nose tackle, while Mitchell Melton made the most of limited chances. He produced five pressures in just 11 pass rush snaps over the final two preseason games.
West Weeks is another name to watch. The Colts put a decent amount into him after the 2026 NFL draft by signing him as a UDFA, and as a rookie he could end up providing special teams depth from the practice squad if needed.
In the secondary, Kenneth Harris is a late-arriving option who only appeared in the final preseason game, but he was steady enough, allowing just two receptions on five targets for 12 yards.
Trey Washington also appeared to be in the mix for a roster spot this summer, which keeps him firmly in the conversation as Indianapolis fills out the rest of its developmental pool.
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