8 players to watch as Colts begin minicamp
The Indianapolis Colts are set to begin mandatory minicamp Tuesday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, which is the final time the team will be together before summer break.
There will be a lot going on during the three days at minicamp, and this will be a great time for players to make a strong impression while building some momentum for when they arrive back for training camp at the end of July.
Here are eight players to watch as the Colts begin minicamp Tuesday.
QB Anthony Richardson
The rookie quarterback will undoubtedly be the biggest topic of discussion over the course of the next three days. Everyone will be looking to see how many reps he takes with the first-team offense as well as the quality of those reps. There is still time for Richardson to take hold of the starting role in Shane Steichen’s offense, and he can begin that journey by ending the offseason workout program on a strong note.
WR Isaiah McKenzie
As it stands entering minicamp, McKenzie is the starting slot receiver. Rookie Josh Downs has been dealing with a knee injury that forced him to miss the final two weeks of OTAs, at least when the media has been there. McKenzie can begin to carve out a role in the offense if Downs is still hampered by the knee injury, and that could go a long way to secure a spot during training camp.
TE Kylen Granson
One of the biggest standouts thus far through the offseason workouts, Granson has been a bright spot as a receiver in Steichen’s offense. He’s already made an impression on his new head coach and can continue to carve out a bigger role in the passing game with a strong outing at minicamp this week.
OT Blake Freeland
The fourth-round pick already looks to be carving out a significant role as the swing tackle behind starters Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith. The BYU product even ran with the first-team offense during the first week of OTAs as Smith dealt with a leg injury. Though Freeland went back to the second team when Smith returned, the rookie holds a vital role going into 2023.
DE Samson Ebukam
It’s clear the Colts view Ebukam as a starting edge rusher opposite Kwity Paye at this point in the offseason. He’s been running with the first-team defense throughout OTAs, and there isn’t a reason that will change in minicamp. If Ebukam can fill the LEO role while adding a bit more run defense, it would help the entire unit greatly.
CB Darrell Baker Jr.
Between the injuries to Julius Brents (wrist) and Darius Rush (hamstring) and the ongoing gambling investigation surrounding Isaiah Rodgers Sr., Baker Jr. has stepped up in a bigger role. He will have a chance to show he’s worthy of one of the final roster spots and while jobs aren’t won in the spring, this is the time to set the foundation of the endeavor.
CB Jaylon Jones
Like Baker Jr., the rookie in Jones will have a chance to climb the depth chart. With fellow rookies in Brents and Rush dealing with injuries, it will open the door for the seventh-round pick to make an impression. The cornerback room is facing all kinds of questions right now so anyone who steps up will have a strong chance of climbing the depth chart when the team returns for training camp.
S Nick Cross
The second-year safety is working with the backups behind starters Julian Blackmon and Rodney Thomas II. Though he’s not in a make-or-break season just yet, he’s getting there. Cross really needs to make a strong impression during minicamp so that he can take that momentum into training camp and the preseason to hopefully carve out a role the Colts saw for him when they traded up into the 2022 draft to select him.
