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Colts' 5 Biggest Player Wins of the 2024 Season

The Indianapolis Colts haven't been perfect in 2024, but there are several in-house wins to highlight heading into 2025.

Zach Hicks

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) celebrates breaking up a Tennessee Titans pass in the fourth quarter of their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) celebrates breaking up a Tennessee Titans pass in the fourth quarter of their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The end of a calendar year signifies a time for reflection. The Indianapolis Colts certainly haven't had the 2024 they expected, but there are some internal wins in the organization to highlight during this time of reflection.

The Colts started several young players this season who ultimately appear to be long-term fixtures for this team going forward. The team may have missed on their ultimate goal of developing Anthony Richardson into a franchise quarterback (at least for the 2024 season), but there are several other player personnel wins to look at with this organization.

Jaylon Jones is a Promising Young Starter

Jaylon Jones
Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) reacts in the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colts' outside cornerback room was in dire straights this offseason, as the top two players on the depth chart were 2023 draft picks JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones. The situation was made much worse when Brents went down with an injury in Week 1 of the season.

Jones, a former seventh-round selection, quickly became the Colts' top guy on the outside in just his second season in the league. Luckily for the Colts, Jones has been up to the task in 2024. He has improved steadily from his rookie season, appearing in 1,021 defensive snaps and boasting 10 pass deflections and two interceptions in his sophomore campaign.

Pro Football Focus has the 22-year-old cornerback as the 23rd-highest-rated starting corner in coverage this season. He is fourth among corners in pass breakups, and his opposing quarterback passer rating of 83.5 when targeted is the best in the Colts' secondary.

Jones emerging as a legit long term option at starting cornerback for the Colts has been a massive win for this organization.

Samuel Womack Find Saved the Defense

Womac
Dec 22, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Samuel Womack III (33) celebrates an interception during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous/USA Today Network via Imagn Images / Christine Tannous/USA Today Network via Imagn Images

Going to the other side of the cornerback room, the acquisition of Samuel Womack may have saved the Colts' defense in 2024. As I mentioned above, Brents was placed on injured reserve just one week into the season. This led to more playing time for Womack, a player the Colts nabbed on the waiver wire just a week prior.

A typical waiver wire addition is more of a roster bubble special teams player who can occasionally play on defense. Womack, however, has shown that he is capable of much more. He has been the Colts' starting outside corner for the majority of the season, and his play has been nothing short of remarkable.

Womack is PFF's 22nd-ranked cornerback in coverage this season, sliding in just above his teammate Jones. He has a forced incompletion percentage of 23%, which is good for number three in the NFL among all starting cornerbacks. He also has seven pass breakups and two interceptions in 386 coverage snaps this season.

The Colts may have been lucky to find a talent like Womack on waivers but, as the saying goes, it's better to be lucky than good.

Alec Pierce, Nick Cross Taking Big Steps

Pierce
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) runs a route during the second half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The development of Alec Pierce and Nick Cross may not be as massive as the aforementioned duo above, but these two players are certainly worth a shout-out for their play in 2024. Both players improved from replaceable starters to impact players on their respective sides of the ball.

For Pierce, his days in Indy appeared numbered when AD Mitchell was drafted in the second round this offseason. Pierce appears to have taken this new competition personally, as he has put together the best season of his career. Despite missing some time due to injuries, Pierce has already hit new career highs in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with two games to play.

For Cross, the young safety struggled to see the football field in his first two years with the Colts. He finally got his chance to shine in 2024 and hasn't disappointed. He is second among NFL defensive backs with 126 tackles, and he's added three interceptions and a forced fumble to his stat sheet as well. Cross may end up a Pro Bowl selection in his first full season as a starter.

Josh Downs is that Guy

Downs
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (1) rushes the ball Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The final player to highlight today is a bit of an outlier compared to the others on this list because we all already knew that Josh Downs was legit heading into the season. For me, the reason he makes a list like this is the way that he's been able to establish himself as a consistent threat on a bad Colts offense.

This has been a disastrous season on offense for the Colts marred by injuries and inconsistencies. Even though Downs has missed some time this year, he has been a force in the games he's played in 2024. He currently sits as PFF's number-eight receiver in terms of grade this season with a receiving grade that places him at six.

The eye test may be even more impressive when it comes to Downs, as the ever-reliable receiver just makes plays for this offense. He can create after the catch like the best in the league and his ability to always get open is a major asset to the team. Simply put, Downs is a bonafide star who will have the counting stats to go with his play once the Colts figure out their issues on offense.

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Zach Hicks
ZACH HICKS

Zach Hicks is the Lead Analyst for HorseshoeHuddle.com. Zach has been on the NFL beat since 2017. His works have appeared on SBNation.com, the Locked On Podcast Network, BleacherReport.com, MSN.com, & Yardbarker.com. 

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