The Colts are getting closer to the shape of their 53-man roster, and the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Saturday, Aug. 29, feels like the last big checkpoint before the cuts come down.
Indianapolis enters that game at 0-1-1 after a 13-13 tie with the New England Patriots in the opener and a 34-6 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons. In that Falcons game, the reserves were outgained 461-164, according to AP News. That kind of showing doesn’t make the decisions any easier, but it does give Shane Steichen’s staff plenty to sort through after an extended run at Grand Park, joint practices and two exhibition games.
At quarterback, Daniel Jones has settled into the starting job, and the projection keeps the room at three with Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson Sr. That approach makes sense given the recent injury history at the position.
The backfield is straightforward with Jonathan Taylor, who got a major show of confidence through a two-year extension that keeps him under contract through 2028, per The Athletic and NFL.com. In this projection, he’s joined by Seth McGowan and DJ Giddens.
Receiver depth is crowded in a way that feels intentional. Alec Pierce is back from injury, Josh Downs is in place, and Keenan Allen - the recent one-year addition who arrived after the Michael Pittman Jr. trade - is included along with Ashton Dulin, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Coleman Owen.
Tight end also looks layered, with Tyler Warren serving as the dynamic piece and Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory giving the Colts multiple options to work with. Up front, the offensive line projection runs nine deep: Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves, Jalen Travis, Blake Freeland, Luke Tenuta, Jalen Farmer and Dalton Tucker. That kind of depth matters after the injury problems this group has dealt with before.
Defensively, the front is the clearest strength in the projection. Laiatu Latu, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Arden Key and Jaylahn Tuimoloau headline a 10-man defensive line group. Linebacker is slimmer, with CJ Allen in the middle, Akeem Davis-Gaither bringing athleticism, and Bryce Boettcher, Jaylon Carlies and Austin Ajiake rounding out the group.
In the secondary, Sauce Gardner stands out as the shutdown presence, with Charvarius Ward Sr. beside him and Justin Walley, Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards and Jaylon Jones supplying depth. Cam Taylor-Britt’s one-game suspension for Week 1 against the Ravens, tied to a personal-conduct violation, makes that cornerback room even more important. At safety, the projection includes Camryn Bynum, AJ Haulcy, Hunter Wohler and Jonathan Owens.
Special teams still have a live battle attached to them. Blake Grupe is projected to beat Spencer Shrader for the kicking job in this look, though that competition is expected to continue into the Lions game. Rigoberto Sanchez remains the punter, and Luke Rhodes is the long snapper.
The overall picture lines up closely with other recent projections, including one from ESPN. The Colts aren’t trying to build a roster full of stars.
They need dependable players who fit Steichen’s system, support the core pieces and hold up when the season starts to grind. Saturday’s game gives them one more chance to confirm those calls before the deadline hits.
The tape from the Falcons loss already showed how shaky the reserve units can look when the drives don’t hold up. Now the staff has more to work with, and the final decisions should reflect that.
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Across the division, Houston chose a far more aggressive path under Nick Caserio, chasing impact additions and reshaping the roster with a series of notable moves. The Texans push has created a clear contrast in how the AFC South rivals are trying to build, and it puts Ballards conservative model under a brighter spotlight as the season begins to show whether patience can keep pace with urgency. [Read more 🡒]