Josh Downs has become one of the Colts’ most interesting names, and the buzz around him keeps getting louder. He’s been floated as a breakout candidate in multiple recent reports, and it’s not hard to see why. The talent is obvious, the production has been real over three seasons, and he’s heading into year four with a contract situation that could set him up for a major payday.
His rookie deal is up after this season, which means a strong year could put him in line for a big raise from Indianapolis or from another team looking for receiver help. That alone makes this a pivotal stretch for Downs.
But the bigger reason his role matters is the state of the Colts’ passing game. Michael Pittman is gone, and there isn’t an obvious replacement waiting to slide into that top spot.
Even if Alec Pierce takes on more of that WR1 burden, Downs looks positioned to absorb plenty of the leftover work.
There’s also a very specific reason to think his stock could keep climbing: Daniel Jones trusts him when things break down.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked pass catchers by how often they were targeted when their quarterback was under pressure, and Downs came in third in the NFL among all receivers. Only Davante Adams and Mike Evans drew a higher share of their team’s throws in those moments.
Three running backs were also ahead of him, with Puka Nacua right behind. That’s strong company, and it points to a simple truth - when Jones is feeling heat, Downs is one of the first places he looks.
That was true in 2025 even though Downs’ overall numbers slipped a bit. The Colts had a crowded group of pass catchers, which limited how much any one player could dominate the target share.
Their regular setup included Pierce, Pittman, and Downs at receiver, plus Tyler Warren and Jonathan Taylor as receiving threats at tight end and running back. Those two added real value in the passing game, and the Colts were the only team in the league with four players targeted more than 80 times.
Downs was one of them, trailing Warren and Pittman while finishing just ahead of Pierce.
Even with that distribution, Downs still stood out in pressure situations. He was targeted the most when Jones was under duress, and he turned those looks into a team-high 14 first downs.
That kind of reliability matters. So does the way he finished his catches.
Forty of his 58 receptions in 2025 went for either a first down or a touchdown, a 69% rate that was the best of his career. It topped Pittman and Warren, though Pierce was even higher.
The Colts’ receiver mix last season gave each of the top three a clear lane. Pittman was the possession target, Pierce stretched the field, and Downs worked the slot.
He may be smaller than the typical outside receiver, but he brings solid long speed and better burst and agility than most defenders expect. His testing backed that up.
He ran the first ten yards of his 40 in 1.49 seconds, and his short shuttle, 3-cone, vertical jump, and broad jump all came in well above average.
That athletic profile shows up in the way he plays. Downs may not win by overpowering physical coverage, but he has the quickness to make defenders react late.
He has also turned that athletic ability into a polished route-running game. Even while operating mostly from the slot, his average route depth in 2025 was higher than Pittman’s and Warren’s.
That’s part of why expectations are so high.
The next step is figuring out how the Colts can get even more out of him. He should still be Indianapolis’ primary slot receiver, but there’s a good chance he moves around more than he has in the past.
Getting him into space will matter, especially because his yards-after-catch number was lower than expected last season. That likely has something to do with how often he’s working in traffic.
Giving him occasional work on the outside could help unlock more of the passing game. So could lining him up in the backfield from time to time. However the Colts choose to use him, the key is making him harder to bracket and easier to free up.
What already seems clear is that Jones will keep looking for him when the pocket starts to collapse. If Downs can add a little more variety to his route tree while staying the dependable option he’s become, the breakout chatter around him may end up looking exactly right.
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