Colts’ early 53-man roster prediction entering OTAs

With organized team activities (OTAs) just around the corner, the Indianapolis Colts have a pretty good idea of what the roster will look like when training camp arrives at the end of July.

The Colts are set to officially begin OTAs on Tuesday, May 24. They will get 10 practice sessions. This is considered Phase Three of the offseason workout program, and it will be the first time that the team will be together while the rookies are included. No live contact is permitted but the team can begin running drills against each other.

The final OTA session on June 16 will be the last time the Colts are together until reporting for training camp.

While jobs aren’t won in the spring, the foundation will be set for several training camp battles. From left tackle to the third cornerback spot, this is where a strong spring showing can be carried into training camp.

As OTAs are set to begin next week, here’s a prediction of the 53-man roster:

Rookies are labeled in italics

Quarterback (2)

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1. Matt Ryan
2. Sam Ehlinger

Right off the bat, we get a question mark. Ryan is unquestionably the starter. However, it remains to be seen if the Colts will trust Ehlinger enough to be the primary backup. It could be very likely the Colts add a veteran quarterback like Nick Foles if Frank Reich wanted to get some more experience in the room. But until something like that happens, we’re rolling with two quarterbacks.

Notable Cuts: James Morgan, Jack Coan (UDFA)

Running Back (4)

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1. Jonathan Taylor
2. Nyheim Hines
3. Phillip Lindsay

Nothing about this room screams major changes. Unless the Colts are concerned with Taylor’s workload, they shouldn’t carry more than three backs on the roster. Taylor and Hines are set in their roles while the recently signed Lindsay gets the edge over Deon Jackson and the three undrafted rookies. The RB3 job could really go in anyone’s direction, and it is likely to come down to special teams contributions.

Notable Cuts: Deon Jackson, C.J. Verdell (UDFA), D’Vonte Price (UDFA), Max Borghi (UDFA)

Wide Receiver (6)

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

The first three spots in this room are set. Pittman Jr. and the second-round pick in Pierce are expected to be the 1-2 punch in the room while Campbell works mostly as the slot receiver in a crucial contract year. The rest of the room is up for grabs. Dulin probably has the best chance to make the roster given his special teams work as a gunner while Strachan and Patmon both bring unique size and athleticism to the position. It wouldn’t be a surprise here if the Colts added a veteran to the mix for competition purposes.

Notable Cuts: Keke Coutee, DeMichael Harris

Tight End (4)

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

This position was a bit tough because it’s not clear how many tight ends the Colts will carry. My gut says three with the third-round pick in Woods rounding out the room. However, the Colts really like sixth-round pick Andrew Ogletree so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them sacrifice depth elsewhere to keep Ogletree on the roster. In this scenario, Ogletree makes the final cut over keeping a fourth running back.

Notable Cuts: N/A

Offensive Line (9)

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1. Matt Pryor
2. Quenton Nelson
3. Ryan Kelly
4. Danny Pinter
5. Braden Smith
6. Bernhard Raimann
7. Dennis Kelly
8. Will Fries
9. Ryan Van Demark (UDFA)

The minimum the Colts will keep here is eight players, and I think they will want to keep more depth given the uncertainty of the starting left tackle position. The third-round pick in Raimann will compete with Pryor, who has the advantage right now. The veteran in Dennis Kelly will also be in the mix. Don’t sleep on the undrafted rookie in Van Demark, who got a pretty big signing bonus following the draft.

Notable Cuts: Brandon Kemp, Carter O’Donnell

Defensive Line (9)

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1. Kwity Paye
2. DeForest Buckner
3. Grover Stewart
4. Yannick Ngakoue
5. Dayo Odeyingbo
6. Tyquan Lewis
7. Ben Banogu
8. Eric Johnson II
9. Curtis Brooks

This room seems pretty set outside of maybe the final two or three spots. How the rotation works will be interesting. Paye and Ngakoue will be the starters on the edge with Buckner and Stewart on the interior during early downs. Odeyingbo and Lewis will work both on the edge and the interior while Banogu enters a crucial contract year. Fifth-round pick Johnson and sixth-round pick Brooks will fight for the final spots in the room while working both at the three-technique and the one-technique.

Notable Cuts: Chris Williams, Kameron Cline

Linebacker (6)

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1. Darius Leonard
2. Bobby Okereke
3. Zaire Franklin
4. E.J. Speed
5. Jordan Glasgow
6. Brandon King

It will be interesting to see how many linebackers the Colts roll with considering the final two players on this list won’t even work on the defensive side of the ball. Glasgow and King are likely to work exclusively on special teams while Franklin was re-signed to a new three-year deal this offseason. The majority of work is likely to come from Leonard and Okereke with the league turning more into a nickel base defense featuring two linebackers. Keep an eye on undrafted rookie Jojo Domann to compete for the final spot here if he proves to be a difference-maker on special teams.

Notable Cuts: Jojo Domann (UDFA)

Cornerback (6)

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

Carrying six cornerbacks is non-negotiable. The Colts have been plagued by injuries at the position in recent seasons. They can’t afford to not have depth here. The first four spots are locked in as Facyson and Rodgers will compete for the starting boundary role in nickel packages. Thomas II gets the boost as a draft pick, but there will be several players vying for those final two spots. Someone to keep an eye on down the road is Marcel Dabo, who joined the Colts via the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. It isn’t totally clear if he’s a safety or cornerback yet.

Notable Cuts: Marvell Tell III, Chris Wilcox, Dallis Flowers (UDFA), Marcel Dabo

Safety (5)

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

This room is pretty much set, barring a change in status with Blackmon’s rehab from Achilles surgery. If he’s ready to go, it will be him and Willis taking most of the snaps while McLeod adds some veteran presence at free safety. Cross is very intriguing as a development because of his insanely high upside, but we shouldn’t expect him to contribute in a massive way immediately. Watts is expected to play the George Odum role on special teams.

Notable Cuts: Sterling Weatherford (UDFA)

Specialists (3)

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

Nothing to really see here. It will be interesting to see if Blankenship returns after missing much of the 2021 season due to injury. His only competition is Jake Verity, who signed a futures deal this offseason.

Notable Cuts: N/A

Overview

Here’s a quick overview of the 53-man roster prediction:

Offense (24)

Defense (26)

Specialists (3)

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