Colts’ 53-man roster prediction after two weeks of training camp

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten through two weeks of training camp following Sunday’s fully padded practice at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.

Even though we have had seven practices to work off of, the roster is still coming together. The preseason games will wind up playing a major factor in determining the back-end roster spots, especially at running back and linebacker.

Through the first two weeks of training camp, here’s a prediction of how the 53-man roster will look:

Rookies are labeled in italics.

Quarterback (2)

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1. Matt Ryan
2. Nick Foles

We’ve said it all offseason since Foles was signed. There’s no reason to keep more than two quarterbacks on the roster considering the experience in the room. Sam Ehlinger and Jack Coan will be battling it out for spots on the practice squad.

Notable Cuts: Sam Ehlinger, Jack Coan

Running Back (4)

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1. Jonathan Taylor
2. Nyheim Hines
3. Phillip Lindsay
4. Deon Jackson

We know the top-two spots are locked in, and Lindsay is starting to create some separation as the RB3. However, his lack of special teams work likely means the Colts need to keep four on the active roster like they did in 2021 with Marlon Mack. That’s where Jackson comes in. The second-year back is a strong asset on special teams and even has an intriguing skill set as a runner. The competition for the final two spots is still very much wide open.

Notable Cuts: D’vonte Price, Ty’Son Williams, C.J. Verdell

Wide Receiver (5)

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1. Michael Pittman Jr.
2. Parris Campbell
3. Alec Pierce
4. Ashton Dulin
5. Dezmon Patmon

This is where the first big change comes in comparison to our previous roster predictions. Most of the time, keeping six wideouts was nearly a necessity. However, the consensus may be leaning toward five. The top-four spots in the room are locked in, and there’s healthy competition for the fifth spot. That’s between Patmon and the shifty Keke Coutee. We went with Patmon here because of his upside even if Coutee may be having the slightly better camp. That final spot is going to come down to special teams so it’s really anyone’s guess. In regards to Mike Strachan, he has been on the PUP list for all of training camp and missed a good chunk of the spring practices. He has a lot of ground to make up.

Notable Cuts: Mike Strachan, Isaiah Ford, Keke Coutee, Michael Young Jr.

Tight End (4)

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1. Mo Alie-Cox
2. Kylen Granson
3. Jelani Woods
4. Andrew Ogletree

It’s almost a given now that the Colts will be carrying four tight ends. That’s because one of the stars of camp has been Ogletree, a sixth-round pick in April’s draft. The Youngstown State product has been stacking days as a premier talent and is even seeing reps with the first team. He’s ahead of Woods in his development and is a serious contender for the No. 3 role.

Notable Cuts: N/A

Interior Offensive Line (5)

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1. Quenton Nelson
2. Ryan Kelly
3. Danny Pinter
4. Jason Spriggs
5. Will Fries

This room is pretty much locked up. Pinter is the expected starter at right guard while Spriggs has a lot of experience and versatility to work at tackle and guard. He stepped in at right guard when Pinter moved over to center to replace Kelly, who briefly missed a few snaps after getting banged up. Fries has done solid work on the second team and has a good chance to make the roster.

Notable Cuts: Wesley French, Alex Mollette

Offensive Tackle (4)

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1. Matt Pryor
2. Braden Smith
3. Bernhard Raimann
4. Dennis Kelly

If the season was starting, Pryor and Smith would be the starters on the edge. While Raimann is coming along, it hasn’t really been a competition. Pryor has taken all of the snaps with the first-team offense, and he’s done well in that regard. Kelly is somewhat of a wild card here because he’s missed a week of practice due to a knee injury, and it isn’t clear when he’ll be back. He has a strong chance to make the roster still.

Notable Cuts: Ryan Van Demark

Defensive End (4)

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1. Yannick Ngakoue
2. Kwity Paye
3. Tyquan Lewis
4. Ben Banogu

Ngakoue and Paye are locked in as the starters while Lewis has been working his way in from the knee injury that claimed his 2021 season. Banogu is still on the bubble, but he’s flashed enough to warrant a spot. This scheme fits his skill set much better than the previous one so a strong preseason will go a long way. It should be noted that Ifeadi Odenigbo has had a strong camp, especially with the pads on, so he isn’t someone to be counted out just yet.

Notable Cuts: Ifeadi Odenigbo, Kameron Cline

Defensive Tackle (6)

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1. DeForest Buckner
2. Grover Stewart
3. Dayo Odeyingbo
4. Chris Williams
5. Curtis Brooks
6. Eric Johnson II

It may not be fair to label Odeyingbo as a defensive tackle because he’ll see time on the edge as well. The big question here is whether both rookies in Brooks and Johnson will make the roster. It appears that way given the flashes they’ve shown as potential players in the back end of the rotation. Williams is the best true one-technique behind Stewart, but he’s been dealing with a foot/ankle injury for the better part of camp.

Notable Cuts: R.J. McIntosh, Byron Cowart

Linebacker (6)

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1. Shaquille Leonard
2. Bobby Okereke
3. Zaire Franklin
4. E.J. Speed
5. Brandon King
6. Jojo Domann

While the top-four spots are locked in, we still have no true timetable of return regarding Leonard. The Maniac has been sidelined since the spring after undergoing back surgery. Franklin has been working as the starter next to Okereke in the meantime. The battle for the final two spots is between a handful of players, all of which have a fair shot. King has the most experience on special teams so he gets the nod while Domann has been the most impressive of the undrafted rookie linebackers. Even so, the competition between those four undrafted rookies is an intriguing one.

Notable Cuts: Sterling Weatherford, James Skalski, Forrest Rhyne

Cornerback (6)

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1. Stephon Gilmore
2. Kenny Moore II
3. Brandon Facyson
4. Isaiah Rodgers
5. Tony Brown
6. Chris Wilcox

Gilmore has been a star at camp while Facyson has taken over as the No. 3 cornerback over Rodgers. That battle is still ongoing and is far from determined, but it appears to be Facyson’s job to lose. The final two spots in the room could go any direction. Brown has an intriguing skill set and has had a solid camp while the final spot is anyone’s guess. Wilcox has flashed enough to warrant a spot on the roster, but it’s far too early to feel confident in that prediction.

Notable Cuts: Marvell Tell III, Rodney Thomas II, Alexander Myres, Anthony Chesley, Dallis Flowers

Safety (4)

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1. Julian Blackmon
2. Nick Cross
3. Rodney McLeod
4. Armani Watts

This room is pretty straight forward. The rookie Cross has been seeing the majority of reps with the first-team defense while McLeod also has seen some time there working back from an offseason knee procedure. It’s likely Cross’ job to lose, but we should expect McLeod to rotate in pretty heavily. Watts is probably holding the George Odum special teams role but has been dealing with an injury during the second week of camp.

Notable Cuts: Will Redmond, Trevor Denbow

Specialists (3)

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1. Rodrigo Blankenship
2. Rigoberto Sanchez
3. Luke Rhodes

Blankenship is seemingly the leader of the kicking competition with Jake Verity. The preseason games will help determine the winner of that battle.

Notable Cuts: Jake Verity

Review

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Offense (24)

Defense (26)

Specialists (3)

Story originally appeared on Colts Wire