Projecting Colts' 53-Man Roster: What We've Learned the Last 4 Months

After four months of OTAs, training camp practices, and the preseason, here is an educated projection of the Indianapolis Colts' 53-man roster.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen watches during the first day of the Indianapolis Colts’ training camp Thursday, July 25, 2024, at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

In just under two weeks, the Indianapolis Colts will hit the field at Lucas Oil Stadium for the start of the regular season against the Houston Texans. However, they have one huge hurdle before they get there: chop the roster down to 53 players from 91 by 2:00 pm ET on Tuesday.

After 13 training camp practices (including three joint practices against the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals) and three preseason games, the Colts' decision-makers must now go through one of the most painstaking parts of their jobs. But they want it this way: it's supposed to be hard for players to make the roster.

With four months of observations at our disposal that started back in May during OTAs and the offseason program, here is a guess at the Colts' 53-man roster.

QUARTERBACK

Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger
Cuts: Kedon Slovis, Jason Bean
Good PS candidates: Slovis, Bean

Richardson and Flacco are a given, but what do the Colts do after that? I initially had them rolling with two until the news broke that the emergency QB had to be on the 53-man roster.

This was a positive camp for the entire quarterback group. Richardson showed growth all around as a quarterback, especially mentally. After 13 practices, including the final three being joint practices, Richardson went 92-of-143 passing (64.3%) with 10 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and 5 rushing touchdowns. Richardson had a rocky preseason, but you're going to get those clear peaks and valleys with such an inexperienced quarterback. What you're looking for is consistency to form throughout the season and mistakes to be corrected without the same ones being repeated routinely.

Flacco was a positive influence on a receiving corps that didn't have a massive drop-off whether they were working with the first or second-team offense. Guys like Alec Pierce, AD Mitchell, and Anthony Gould benefitted greatly from having a capable quarterback operating the offense.

Bean is one of the biggest sweethearts of the summer after displaying rare production throughout three preseason games and routinely leading the offense to points.

The Colts already waived Slovis, but he showed a nice ability to operate an offense and to stand firm in the pocket and deliver the ball with pressure bearing down.

RUNNING BACK

Jonathan Taylor, Trey Sermon, Tyler Goodson
Cuts: Evan Hull, Demetric Felton, Zavier Scott
Good PS candidates: Hull, Felton, Scott

Taylor came back to Grand Park looking as good as ever, but it was the depth behind him that was a pleasant surprise.

Sermon injured his hamstring during the first preseason game and then missed the final two weeks of camp (and two preseason games), which gave the other running backs an opportunity to show their abilities with the first and second-team offenses.

Goodson and Hull had an entertaining battle for RB3 throughout the summer, combining for 179 yards rushing during the preseason. Both have given the Colts plenty to consider. Hull has shown positive growth running between the tackles, while Goodson's quickness and burst have been on display.

The running back who has arguably grown the most, however, is second-year UDFA Scott, who went from mixing into the crowd last summer to standing out and making some plays this year.

In the end, I have the Colts keeping Goodson and letting go of Hull (hoping he can clear waivers and make it back to the practice squad), who becomes a victim of the numbers game after having to keep Ehlinger on the final roster.

WIDE RECEIVER

Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, AD Mitchell, Anthony Gould, Ashton Dulin
Cuts: D.J. Montgomery, Juwann Winfree, Laquon Treadwell, Greg Ward, Derek Slywka, Tyrie Cleveland
Good PS candidates: Montgomery, Winfree, Treadwell

This is arguably the deepest group of receivers the Colts have had in camp during GM Chris Ballard's tenure, but how do they feel about it? Because last year, their cuts led them to keep just three receivers initially.

Pittman, Downs, Pierce, and Mitchell are etched in stone, and it feels the same for Gould. Dulin has been a core special teamer throughout his career and is more than likely locked in as well, but his spot may be most vulnerable to a guy like Montgomery, who has done all the right things and seems also to be a coaching favorite.

This summer has been a rare instance where I can recall each member of the receiving corps making some plays.

TIGHT END

Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory
Cuts: Eric Tomlinson, Jordan Murray
Good PS candidates: Murray

I feel comfortable saying Granson, Alie-Cox, and Ogletree aren't going anywhere. As of two weeks ago, it felt like a race between Mallory and Woods for the final spot, but Woods' recent toe injury is likely to land him on Injured Reserve, which solves the problem and gives Mallory the nod.

While an injury is never a good thing, it did likely clear up the situation for the Colts, who may not have been ready to draw the curtain on either Woods or Mallory.

OFFENSIVE LINE

OT: Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith, Matt Goncalves, Blake Freeland | IOL: Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Tanor Bortolini, Dalton Tucker
Cuts: Danny Pinter, Arlington Hambright, Mike Panasiuk, Jake Witt
Good PS candidates: Pinter, Hambright, Witt

The Colts have invested heavily in youth on the offensive line in recent offseasons, which is reflected here. The starting five remains untouched since midseason of 2022, but rookie draft picks Goncalves and Bortolini join the group, while rookie UDFA Tucker earns a spot as well. IR-worthy injuries to Josh Sills and Wesley French helped clear the path a little bit for this young group, but they truly earned these spots.

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DEFENSIVE LINE

DE: Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, Laiatu Latu, Dayo Odeyingbo, Isaiah Land | DT: DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Raekwon Davis, Adetomiwa Adebawore
Cuts: Taven Bryan, Eric Johnson II, Titus Leo, Genard Avery, Derek Rivers, Jonah Laulu, Levi Bell
Good PS candidates: Johnson, Leo, Laulu

Three big factors helped determine the depth of the defensive line: starting end Samson Ebukam's Achilles injury, Davis' return from the Non-Football Illness list, and the positive development of Adebawore. Becuase of Ebukam's injury, an awesome summer from Land helps him get the last spot at end, while Davis and Adebawore make up the depth of the interior. Also factoring in are Lewis and Odeyingbo, who can play inside and out.

LINEBACKER

Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, Segun Olubi, Jaylon Carlies, Grant Stuard
Cuts: Cameron McGrone, Austin Ajiake, Liam Anderson, Craig Young, Mike Smith Jr.
Good PS candidates: Ajiake, Anderson, Young

Determining who stays at linebacker is tougher than it seems for several reasons. Last year, the Colts kept seven initially for the 53-man roster, but that's a high number. Does the new kickoff change this at all? The Colts seem to like who they've got at linebacker from top to bottom, but Olubi, Carlies, and Stuard are the only ones I can justify as depth due to numbers.

McGrone has been a core special teamer with the Colts for a couple of seasons now, Ajiake has had a productive offseason altogether, and Young fits the mold of a Colts linebacker quite well, so they make things interesting.

CORNERBACK

Kenny Moore II, JuJu Brents, Jaylon Jones, Dallis Flowers, Chris Lammons, Micah Abraham, Jaylin Simpson
Cuts: Darrell Baker Jr., Ameer Speed, Clay Fields III, Michael Tutsie
Good PS candidates: Baker, Speed

What do the Colts do at cornerback? It's one of their more unproven positions, which is the main reason I have seven players making it.

Lammons would be a tough cut for me due to the fact that it means the Colts would be getting rid of two veterans in Baker and Lammons in favor of two rookies who they want to develop in Abraham and Simpson, and that feels quite dangerous. But, has Chris Ballard not been playing with fire all offseason when it comes to the secondary?

SAFETY

Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas II, Trevor Denbow
Cuts: Ronnie Harrison Jr., Marcel Dabo
Good PS candidates: Harrison, Dabo

If you told Colts fans this would be the lineup at safety to start the season, many of them would be quite upset. It was the most up-in-the-air group entering the summer, and the Colts still elected not to add a free agent to it, if for nothing more than insurance behind Blackmon, who hasn't played a full season in his career.

Nonetheless, unless the Colts add someone from the outside after cuts, this is the likely safety squad.

Blackmon is a big-time playmaker who has been arguably the defense's MVP through camp, and Cross appears to be in line to start beside Blackmon, which may be his final opportunity to do so with the Colts. Thomas only plays free safety but is an important special teamer, as is Denbow.

This is very much a boom or bust position.

KICKER

Matt Gay
Cuts: Spencer Shrader
Good PS candidates: Shrader

This is fairly straightforward, as Gay is an established veteran, and Shrader is a rookie UDFA who has been erratic this summer. However, Gay's performance bears monitoring.

He went from being a reliable kicker to unpredictable later in the season in 2023, and that has carried into the 2024 preseason.

PUNTER

Rigoberto Sanchez
Cuts: None
Good PS candidates: N/A

Sanchez has had no competition this summer; he's the Colts' punter again in 2024.

LONG SNAPPER

Luke Rhodes
Cuts: None
Good PS candidates: N/A

Continuity is key, so the Colts stick with it among their specialists.

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