Previewing Colts’ LB Depth Chart Entering 2022 Season

Linebacker is one of the best position groups for Indy but can only reach its potential if the star is healthy.

Andrew Moore | Jul 21, 2022

It’s official. We are now less than a week away from the return of Colts football.

Yes, the Indianapolis Colts will be returning to the field in a mere six days. The Colts will begin training camp on July 27th at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield, Ind., for the fourth consecutive season. Rookies will report on the 23rdand veterans on the 26th fresh from their summer break and ready to start the long grind of the NFL season.

The Colts are a team that will see plenty of new faces taking on major roles for the 2022 season. Some position battles have already been determined, while others will be up for grabs throughout training camp. The Colts are hoping this competition leads to improved play all over the field.

As was the case a season ago, it is time to preview the Colts’ depth chart as we head into the 2022 season. We will go position by position and discuss how the players stack up heading into the fall. The next group to preview is the linebackers, set to be one of the best position groups for the Colts once again, but only if their star player is healthy and on the field.

Darius Leonard

2021 Stats: 122 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 8 forced fumbles, 3 fumbles recovered

The 2021 season proved just how much of a “Maniac” Leonard actually is. The All-Pro linebacker battled an ankle injury all season long. While he had surgery to fix the ankle in June of 2021, it did not heal properly and was an obvious impediment.

But Leonard was determined not to let it affect his play. The Maniac still played in 16 games and led the NFL in forced turnovers despite the bum ankle. Leonard earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the third time in four years and was selected to his third Pro Bowl.

Plain and simple, Leonard is the heart and soul of the Colts’ defense. Not only does he lead with his otherworldly play, he brings a fire and energy to the defense that is noticeable. The Colts’ defense is not the same when Leonard is off the field, making his health even more important to the Colts’ success.

Leonard had back surgery earlier this offseason to fix a lingering issue the WILL linebacker had been feeling. Doctors have said that fixing the back should, in turn, allow the ankle injury to finally heal, getting him back to 100%. However, back injuries are always serious, and there will be some pause about Leonard’s health until he can get back in the upcoming weeks.

Leonard is easily the best linebacker in the game when healthy, and the Colts will need him out there to reach their full potential this season.

Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Okereke

2021 Stats: 132 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions

Next to Leonard in the linebacking core, Okereke is entering his second season as the full-time starter at MIKE linebacker. A former third-round pick out of Stanford, Okereke has improved every season and will look to continue that in 2022.

Okereke had a career year in 2021. Not only did he have a career-high in tackles – leading the Colts – he also had career-highs in interceptions and sacks. Okereke’s presence was felt all over the field as he used his speed and tackling ability to wrap up ball carriers.

While Okereke saw career highs in turnovers forced, he is not satisfied. Throughout the 2021 preseason, Okereke was a consistent threat to take the ball away, seemingly making plays at every practice. Once the season began, the rate at which he created turnovers drastically dropped. It is on Okereke to force turnovers at a high rate during the regular season.

In a contract year, Okereke will look to establish himself as the MIKE linebacker for the Colts for years to come.

Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Zaire Franklin

2021 Stats: 40 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered

The third linebacker for the Colts is Franklin, who has seen his role expand over the last couple of seasons. While the SAM linebacker does not get as much playing time as the other linebacker spots, Franklin still holds an important position on this team.

Franklin has been a captain on special teams the past two seasons for the Colts. He has led a unit that is consistently one of the best in the league and is known for making splash plays in the punting game. Franklin has become a well-respected voice in the locker room and someone younger players look up to.

Franklin’s leadership ability is part of the reason the Colts brought him back this spring on a three-year, $10 million deal with $4 million guaranteed. The deal can be worth up to $12 million with incentives. Not bad for a former seventh-round pick.

Franklin will once again start at SAM and continue to be a captain on special teams. He will also see action if Leonard or Okereke have to miss time with an injury. The linebacker is the true definition of a glue guy for the Colts.

E.J. Speed

2021 Stats: 31 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 TDs (special teams)

When Speed was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, it raised many eyebrows around the league. Not only was Speed coming from a small school in Division II Tarleton St., but he had also battled legal issues throughout college. He was arrested and suspended for a game after he was charged with two counts of organized criminal activity, later determined as credit card fraud.

However, the Colts did their homework on the situation and Speed’s past. After talking with Speed and his college coaches, they were comfortable taking a chance on the linebacker. So far, so good.

Speed has not had any further run-ins with the law and has proven himself to be a valuable teammate. He has settled into his role as a backup in the Colts’ linebacking core and a standout player on special teams. Speed won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week twice during the 2021 season and returned two blocked punts for touchdowns.

Speed is entering a contract year with the Colts and is hoping to prove that he cannot only be a special teams ace but possibly be a starter in the NFL.

Best of the Rest

While the top four linebackers are locks to make the roster, there is a lot of competition at the back end of this group. The Colts have kept six to seven linebackers on the roster in recent years, and with nine currently on the roster heading into training camp, spots will need to be earned.

The one veteran left in the group is Brandon King. King spent the first seven seasons of his career with the New England Patriots primarily as a special teams player. He was one of the Patriots’ best players in this regard and will look to have a similar role on the Colts.

The rest of the linebacker unit are all undrafted rookie free agents striving to make the roster. JoJo Domann comes from Nebraska where he earned Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2021 with 72 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Forrest Rhyne compiled 153 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks on his way to being named CAA Defensive Player of the Year at Villanova. James Skalski is a two-time National Champion with Clemson and is the only player to ever play in, and win, five ACC Championship Games. Sterling Weatherford from Miami (OH) rounds out the group, registering 67 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery on his way to being named Second-Team All-MAC.

Of the rookie group, it looks like it will be a battle between Domann and Weatherford to make the roster. Both impressed in spring practices and coaches raved about what each player displayed. Excellent camps by each could even land both an opportunity on the Colts’ 53-man roster.

Other Colts Depth Chart Previews

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Published Jul 21, 2022

ANDREW MOORE

Andrew Moore is the Senior Analyst for Horseshoe Huddle and an Indianapolis Colts expert. Andrew is also the co-host of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast and the former co-host of A Colts Podcast.