When you think of the storylines surrounding the Colts this year of course the big names like Daniel Jones, Josh Downs, and Sauce Gardner come to mind.
After all, the Colts need their best players to have good seasons in order to be successful. But for the sake of this exercise, I’m not going to include them.
DEFENSIVE END: Michael Clemons/Jaylahn Tuimoloau
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People forget the Colts signed Clemons to a sizable deal for a 4th round pick that never put it together in New York. The Colts DE depth is thin as it is and they’re asking Laiatu Latu to carry the burden of a group of players with very little pedigree or stature in the league.
3-year $17.5M isn’t the type of contract that will cause long term financial damage, but it’s enough to demand production when DL depth was the Colts biggest need heading into the spring, and Clemons was one of the few moves the Colts made to address it.
I’m combining Clemons with Jaylahn Tuimoloau because they go hand-in-hand. The Colts simply cannot afford to have a third straight 2nd round pick fail to pan out for them.
In my opinion, the storyline’s around the DL are too focused around Laiatu Latu becoming a stud pass rusher, when it really should be about the resources Chris Ballard surrounded the room with.
Obviously Laiatu Latu needs to take the next step as a pass rusher, but if Latu is ever unavailable, this is the worst defensive end room in the league.
BACKUP RUNNING BACK: DJ Giddens, Seth McGowan
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The backup RB spot was an afterthought for the Colts in 2026 given how special Jonathan Taylor was playing (Outside of some quality Ameer Abdullah reps). While JT will continue to get the bulk of the carries, and deservedly so, I often think about the 2023 season and the role Zack Moss had. While JT has done an incredible job staying on the field, he’s headed for his third contract. RB longevity is scarce, and while JT is a rare breed an exception to the rule, I think the Colts would be wise to manage some of his carries to make sure he’s available when it matters.
Additionally last year he regressed as the season wore on in pass protection and teams like the Chiefs and Steelers set the blueprint for how to take advantage of that.
The Colts seemed excited aboutDJ Giddens , yet only Abdullah seemed to crack the starting roster. The Colts staff values trust (sometimes to a fault), and Giddens has yet to earn that. I don’t think there’s enough of a sample size of publicly available snaps to say whether Giddens can pan out for the Colts yet, but I did like the pick at the time.
Seth McGowan is another interesting pick that I think offers the Colts some upside. I think McGowan has the better chance of the two to make an impact for the Colts. Giddens had the opportunity to emerge last year, but Ameer Abdullah won Shane Steichen over and became. the de facto 2nd RB.
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Nonetheless, it all comes down to whether or not the Colts want to manage JT’s snap count. It’s hard to see what he does every Sunday and take him off the field, but it would feel a lot easier if one of two backs emerged.
RIGHT SIDE OF THE OL: Matt Goncalves, Jalen Farmer, Jalen Travis
We’ve lived in a Chris Ballard world where the OL has rarely been the concern of the Colts. It’s one of the few benefits that I think Colts fans probably take for granted. With Braden Smith departing in free agency and the Colts drafting Jalen Farmer to push Goncalves in year 2 at guard, I think there’s some fair question marks. While I have very little doubt that Tony Sparano Jr. won’t find a proper solution, but it’s crucial that the right side of the OL holds up this year.
Daniel Jones obviously needs proper protection as someone who has historically struggled under pressure and struggled to stay healthy, but also because the Colts have a diverse run game that needs versatile lineman in order to execute.
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