With the preseason winding down, it’s time to look ahead at what the Colts depth chart could look like come Week 1.
Quarterbacks (3)
Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, Riley Leonard
The Colts kept 3 quarterbacks last season and with the health questions surrounding Anthony Richardson, the Colts will definitely need to keep 3 on the roster again this season. Riley Leonard and Jason Bean have battled it out all offseason, with their final battle coming in the last preseason game. Leonard played incredibly well against the Bengals and has gotten more snaps to this point and offers a bit more as a passer, so he would be my pick to be the #3 guy.
Running Backs (3)
Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Goodson, DJ Giddens
Jonathan Taylor is obviously a lock, but it’s a bit more muddled. DJ Giddens has been getting a lot of reps and has looked quite good, so I’d say that and the fact that he was drafted in the 5th round give him a great chance of making the team. Tyler Goodson is going into his 3rd season with the Colts and had a nice 2024 season with 32 carries for 4.8 yards per carry, so despite the fact they brought in Khalil Herbert and there are a few other guys, Goodson is likely going to make the team. The question after that is: will they keep more than 3 guys? Last year the Colts took only 3 guys and I see them doing the same this season with no real bright spots behind Giddens and Goodson.
Wide Receivers (6)
Michael Pittman Jr, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, AD Mitchell, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould
To me, this is one of the easiest positions to predict. Pittman, Downs, Pierce, Mitchell and Dulin are locks. The first 4 are quality receivers who were on the roster and contributing players last season. Ashton Dulin is one of the better special teams players you can ask for, so he’s safe. Then after him, Anthony Gould has proven to be a quality asset on special teams as a returner, but has also shown some ability as a deep threat receiver. It would be silly to keep more than 6 and the Colts kept exactly 6 last season, so this one is a no-brainer.
Tight Ends (4)
Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory
Warren and Mo Alie-Cox are locks, but there appears to be a battle for the 3rd spot. There is also a question of whether the Colts will keep 3 or 4 tight ends, as they kept 4 last season. In my opinion, the Colts will keep 4 again this season as Ogletree and Mallory are both good enough to make an NFL roster and have been had some flashes in their short careers. Ogletree is probably slightly ahead of Mallory, making Mallory a potential last cut and priority practice squad player.
Offensive Line (9)
Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves, Braden Smith, Dalton Tucker, Danny Pinter, Jalen Travis, Josh Sills
The starting five of Raimann/Nelson/Bortolini/Goncalves/Smith are locks obviously. After them, I think Tucker and Pinter’s versatility plus their experience with the Colts make them pretty safe bets. Jalen Travis was a 4th round pick and 4th rounders almost always make the team. Josh Sills should also make the team simply based on his experience with the team (3rd year with the team). After those 9, there aren’t any standouts or anyone that is 100% worth keeping. If Will Mallory is the 25th guy on the offense, there isn’t an offensive linemen that is worth keeping over him.
Defensive Line (10)
Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Laiatu Latu, Tyquan Lewis, Samson Ebukam, Eric Johnson, Neville Gallimore, JT Tuimoloau, Adetomiwa Adebawore
The Colts kept 10 defensive linemen last season and that’s already more than most teams. The Colts actually have 10 pretty solid guys to choose from. Paye/Buckner/Stewart/Latu are the projected starters and locks. Lewis, Ebukam and Tuimoloau are locks as rotational edge rushers. Johnson and Gallimore were signed this offseason to provide depth on the inside and they are clearly the 3rd and 4th best options at those spots. Ade Ade is entering his 3rd year with the Colts and is a very versatile, which is valuable for that group. If anyone were to go, it would be him but only because the Colts kept 9 guys from this group.
Linebackers (5)
Zaire Franklin, Jaylon Carlies, Cameron McGrone, Joe Bachie, Segun Olubi
Zaire Franklin was an All Pro last season, so clearly he’s going to be back! Jaylon Carlies was a solid rotational player last season and will at least be the same or have an expanded role this season. Joe Bachie comes over from Cincinnati after many years with them and considering Lou Anarumo was his DC in Cincy, he’s a very safe bet to make the tema. That leaves McGrone and Olubi, both of whom have been Colts for the past few seasons and had good moments. They won’t keep more than 5 guys, so I see experience with the Colts or Anarumo being the cut off.
Cornerbacks (6)
Charvarius Ward, Kenny Moore, Xavien Howard, Jaylon Jones, JuJu Brents, Samuel Womack
The Colts kept 6 cornerbacks last season and with Hunter Wohler on IR, it seems pretty clear who the 6 are. Ward and Moore are high end NFL starters, so they are obviously locks. Jones and Brents are young veterans at this point and quality players to have rotating in. After them, Xavien Howard was just signed for one season at 5M, so he’s clearly here to compete for a starting spot and he probably will start. Last on the list is Samuel Womack, who had some flashes of great play last season for the Colts and is clearly the best of the rest.
Safeties (4)
Nick Cross, Cam Bynum, Rodney Thomas II, Daniel Scott
The Colts kept 4 safeties last season and I can see them doing the same this season. There are currently only 5 safeties on the roster and Trey Washington is the new one of the group. The four names above were either on the Colts for the past few seasons and/or are star players. Washington is simply the odd man out here and a potential practice squad candidate.
Special Teams (3)
Spencer Shrader, Rigoberto Sanchez, Luke Rhodes
The punter and long snapper spots are locks, but there was a battle for the kicking spot. Shrader took control of the driver’s seat with a 4/4 night and a 50+ yard make. His experience with the Chiefs last year, hitting a game winner in November, also counts for something. He should be the Colts’ kicker for 2025.
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