Hicks: Final 53-Man Roster Projection

With teams needing to be at 53 players by Tuesday afternoon, who makes the final cut for the Colts?

It is officially time for the regular season Colts' fans! Before that, the team has several difficult cuts to make at key spots.

Each year, as Week 1 approaches, teams must end the preseason cycle by cutting their roster down from 80 players to 53. Teams must be down to 53 players by 4 PM EST on Tuesday. Many players around the league will realize their dreams of making an NFL roster, while others will never play football again.

The Indianapolis Colts are one of those teams making the tough decisions. With a solid roster constructed by general manager Chris Ballard, the Colts will have to make some difficult cuts to get down to 53 players.

Here is my opinion on how it will all shake out by 4:00 PM EST on Tuesday:

© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Offense (24)

Quarterback (3): Matt Ryan, Nick Foles, Sam Ehlinger

Matt Ryan and Nick Foles were solidified as the top two guys coming into the offseason, but the surprise has been second-year passer Sam Ehlinger. After a nearly flawless offseason that saw him boast a passer rating of 147.8, it may be hard to cut the preseason darling.

I could see the Colts go either way here, but I think they ultimately stick with the young quarterback.

Running Back (4): Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, Philip Lindsay, Deon Jackson

Running back is an interesting decision, as only three players have earned spots on the roster in training camp. The lone wildcard is second-year back Deon Jackson. Jackson had an up-and-down camp, but he did flash a little bit in the preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If the Colts want to keep an extra running back for upside and/or special teams, Jackson is likely that guy.

Wide Receiver (6): Michael Pittman Jr, Parris Campbell, Alec Pierce, Ashton Dulin, Dezmon Patmon, Michael Strachan

While it was a hotly debated position group this entire offseason, the Colts ultimately keep nearly the same exact players as last season (if you trade out T.Y Hilton for Alec Pierce). Strachan and Patmon were big question marks coming into the offseason, but both players have seemingly earned their spots in the past two preseason games.

At this point, I'd be shocked if Patmon and Strachan aren't on the 53-man roster come tomorrow afternoon.

Tight End (3): Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Jelani Woods

No real surprise here. The Colts were going to keep four tight ends this season, but a season-ending injury to rookie Drew Ogletree changed some plans. The Colts will likely keep just these three players of the current options on the roster.

Offensive Line (8): Matt Pryor, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Danny Pinter, Braden Smith, Will Fries, Bernhard Raimann, Dennis Kelly

The Colts have seven players that are absolute locks for the team, with Bernhard Raimann and Will Fries earning key rotational jobs in training camp. Dennis Kelly is another player I have making it, although his knee injury is a bit of a concern at the moment.

The Colts likely have to look for some outside help at this position after cut downs, especially if Kelly were to miss an extended amount of time.

Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Defense (26)

Defensive Tackle (4): DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Eric Johnson, Chris Williams

This may be the ugliest positional depth on the roster at the moment. Buckner and Stewart are two of the better interior players in the NFL, but the depth behind them is questionable at best. Eric Johnson should make it due to his upside, but that is really about it.

At the moment I have Chris Williams taking up the last DT spot, but this is a prime position for a waiver claim after cut downs.

Defensive End (6): Yannick Ngakoue, Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, Dayo Odeyingbo, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Ben Banogu

No real surprises in this group of players. Ifeadi Odenigbo and Ben Banogu came into the offseason as fringe players, but both have played well enough to be on the roster in 2022. Maybe we see one of them flipped for a late pick sometime tomorrow, but I don't really expect that to happen.

Linebacker (6): Shaquille Leonard, Bobby Okereke, Zaire Franklin, E.J Speed, Sterling Weatherford, JoJo Domann

Linebacker may be the deepest the Colts have been at one position in a long time. The top four players are great assets to the defense, and the depth behind them is super intriguing. I ultimately went with keeping both Sterling Weatherford and JoJo Domann on the initial 53-man roster. Their upside, and special teams ability, should be major pluses for 2022.

The biggest wildcard here is if Shaquille Leonard is kept on PUP or not.

Cornerback (5): Stephon Gilmore, Kenny Moore II, Brandon Facyson, Isaiah Rodgers, Tony Brown

The Colts could go a number of different ways with their defensive back depth, but I ended up only keeping five at the cornerback spot. The top four players are locked in stone, and Tony Brown's special teams ability and versatility earned him the CB5 job.

Anthony Chesley was a tough cut for me and he is a player that I could absolutely see sneaking onto the roster.

Safety (5): Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Rodney McLeod, Rodney Thomas II, Trevor Denbow

A bit of a shocker here as I went with undrafted free agent Trevor Denbow as a fifth safety. With the loss of Armani Watts for the season, the Colts need more special teams players on the backend of the roster. Denbow was phenomenal in kick coverage this offseason, and he appears ready to be an ace from day one.

Seventh round rookie Rodney Thomas II also earned the backup FS spot with his strong play in recent weeks.

© Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1): Rodrigo Blankenship

A Kicker.

Punter (1): Matt Haack

The Colts were fortunate enough to scoop up veteran Matt Haack after the injury to Rigoberto Sanchez a week ago.

Long Snapper (1): Luke Rhodes

One of the better long snappers in the NFL comes back for yet another season with the Colts.

Need your fill on daily Colts' content? Head over to the Locked On Colts' YouTube channel where Jake Arthur and myself hit on all the major topics surrounding this team. Hit that subscribe button while you are there!

---

Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.