Colts 5 Biggest Surprises from 2023 Season

The Indianapolis Colts had unexpectedly great performances from these players during the 2023 season.

The Indianapolis Colts looked better than expected this season. 

Along with overshooting the bar as a team, they had big surprises on the roster that contributed to their winning record of 9-8 under new head coach Shane Steichen. 

With this in mind, here are five Colts names who outplayed what anyone thought and surprised everyone. 

Zack Moss | Running Back

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Veteran running back Zack Moss wasn't acquired by the Colts via trade in 2022 to have a prominent role. However, he showed reliability to finish his first year in Indy. 

For the 2023 season, the expectations were lower, especially after Jonathan Taylor inked a three-year, $42 million contract.

While Taylor rehabbed his ankle injury, Moss shocked the NFL world as a leader for Steichen's offense after debuting in Week 2 against the Houston Texans. 

Moss was unrelenting in his first four games, running for 445 yards on 89 carries (5 yards per carry) and 4 all-purpose touchdowns. 

Moss dropped off significantly after Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars once Taylor took over as the lead runner, but he still finished the year with 794 rushing yards (led team) on 183 carries (4.3 yards per carry), 27 catches for 192 receiving yards, and 7 all-purpose scores.

Moss may have played himself into a starter contract elsewhere, which nobody thought he would accomplish. It will be interesting to see what Indy does with the current free agent.  

Bernhard Raimann | Left Tackle

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Left tackle Bernhard Raimann was picked 77th overall in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. 

The Central Michigan product was considered a project with limited exposure to the tackle position. While he struggled at first, he came into his own to finish his rookie season. However, what he accomplished in 2023 showed he is one of the most reliable blockers in the league. 

Raimann finished as Pro Football Focus' 16th-best (tied) offensive lineman with a grade of 82.3. When factoring in just offensive tackles he was the ninth-best in the NFL. Raimann was also the best-graded pass blocker for Indy (80.6) and performed well in the running game. 

He wasn't considered a stalwart on the offensive line for the Colts going into the 2023 campaign, but after this performance, he's arguably one of the most efficient left tackles in the league going into 2024. 

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Will Fries | Right Guard

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The right guard spot was uncertain for the Colts heading into the 2023 season. 

While it was a revolving door of names the previous year, former seventh-round selection Will Fries held it down more than anyone. He played admirably in 2022, but nothing special. This led to several free-agent veteran names listed as potential fits for the Colts to supplant or compete with Fries on the line. However, Fries stayed put and even played like a legitimate starter. 

On the season, he started all 17 games and logged the second-most snaps of any Colts offensive lineman with 1,125. He finished behind only Quenton Nelson, who played 1,141 snaps. 

The best stat for Fries was his jump in pass-blocking efficiency, which was a brutal 44.4 in 2022. However, Fries concluded this recent year with a solid 65.4 grade for this third NFL season. 

Fries isn't an All-Pro or even Pro Bowl-level talent, but he doesn't need to be with the names that surround him. 

If he can continue to improve as an all-around protector, he'll keep that position as a starter for the foreseeable future. 

Samson Ebukam | Defensive End

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The Colts needed more pass-rushing talent after the departure of Yannick Ngakoue to free agency. Instead of a big-name signing, Colts GM Chris Ballard went the route of an under-the-radar name. 

Enter Samson Ebukam. 

Ebukam walked into 2023 with a season-best 5.0 sacks in 2022 with the San Francisco 49ers. The veteran had six years under his belt and 23.5 career sacks, playing a rotational role only up to that point. However, once Ebukam got the snaps needed, he never looked back. 

Ebukam led Indy with 9.5 sacks and was one of the best run defenders on the team. He also applied a torrid pace of pressure on quarterbacks, notching 48 in his 17 starts. This was second only to star interior lineman DeForest Buckner (52). 

Ebukam earned every piece of his three-year, $24 million deal that Indy gave him in the offseason. 

If the Colts can continue to bolster their defense, especially in the trenches, Ebukam may become a star pass-rusher with all-around great skills. 

Tyquan Lewis | Defensive End

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Indy veteran pass-rusher Tyquan Lewis isn't a household name, but his NFL story is one to behold. 

He was selected out of Ohio State in the second round of the 2018 draft. It took a few years, but Lewis found footing in 2020, where he played 16 games (four starts) and snagged 4.0 sacks, 24 tackles, and 8 for loss. 

But his 2021 and 2022 seasons were heart-breaking results. In both campaigns, he suffered season-ending patellar tendon injuries. He would only play 15 combined games. These injuries put Lewis' football future in serious doubt.  

The assumption was Indy wouldn't retain Lewis with his injury history, as he was a free agent in 2023, but he signed a one-year, $2.1 million deal to prove he belongs. 

Lewis shattered any preconceived notions in 2023. 

While the veteran's numbers weren't eye-popping (4.0 sacks, 25 tackles, 9 for loss, and 3 passes defended), his constant drive was. Lewis played a mere 437 total snaps (259 pass-rushing) but ranked third on the Colts in total QB pressures with 44. Even more inspiring, he led the team in QB hurries with 31. 

Lewis played on fire and looked like he never sustained potential career-ending setbacks. 

If the Colts decide to retain the 29-year-old again, it could be on a multiple-year deal with how integral of a piece he was for the defense. 

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