The Indianapolis Colts held their sixth practice of training camp on Thursday at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.
Wearing full pads for the second time since training camp opened, the Colts have been taking their next steps toward preparing for the preseason opener, which is a week from Saturday.
We also put together a quick roundup of the practice Thursday before getting into the takeaways.
Here are six takeaways from Day 6 of Colts training camp:
1
Attendance and Injuries
- LB Shaquille Leonard (back) and WR Mike Strachan (knee) remained on the PUP list and didn’t practice Thursday.
- DT Chris Williams (foot), OT Dennis Kelly (knee), LB Forrest Rhyne (undisclosed) and WR DeMichael Harris (undisclosed) continued to miss practice.
- DB Brandon King (undisclosed), S Armani Watts (undisclosed) and RB Ty’Son Williams (undisclosed) were new additions to the injury list Thursday.
- CB Alexander Myres (undisclosed) and RB D’vonte Price (undisclosed) returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday’s session.
2
Andrew Ogletree making his mark
At one point this offseason, Ogletree was thought to be on the roster bubble as it was unclear whether the Colts would keep four tight ends. Now, he’s a near-lock to make the roster.
Ogletree has been one of the stars of training camp through the first two weeks, and the momentum he’s building will carry into the preseason games. The rookie sixth-round pick had a strong day Thursday, making several impressive grabs.
Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan had this to say about the rookie:
“The Day 3 draft pick who has impressed the most so far is tight end Drew Ogletree. While Jelani Woods and Kylen Granson have had some ups and downs this offseason, Ogletree has been steadier and a guy the staff has noticed. Ogletree is moving up the depth chart, earning a good amount of starting reps. The highlight from Ogletree on Thursday was him extending for a one-handed TD snag from Matt Ryan in a 7-on-7 session.”
The Colts made it clear after the draft how much they love Ogletree and his potential. That seems to be coming to fruition through the first two weeks of camp, and he’ll be a player to watch going into the preseason.
3
DeForest Buckner leading the way
Buckner has been the engine of the Colts defense ever since they traded a first-round pick for him before the 2020 season. He continued to show that Thursday with a big showing against the first-team offense.
According to Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star, Buckner was all over the place on Thursday both in disrupting the pocket and making plays against the run.
“The big defensive tackle made at least two “sacks” on the day — defenders are not allowed to touch the quarterback — and made two impressive plays at the line of scrimmage in the run game, causing havoc for the Colts offense all day.
In the final period, a two-minute drill against the first-team offense, Matt Ryan had a drive going until Buckner blew through the line for a sack on first down, then came free on a draw two plays later to stuff Nyheim Hines at the line of scrimmage.”
The Colts defense will rely on many parts this season, but Buckner will be at the forefront of the unit’s success.
4
Offensive Line shuffle
We got a bit more insight as to the depth of the offensive line Thursday when center Ryan Kelly missed a few plays while dealing with some kind of minor injury. Kely returned quickly so there isn’t any worry about his status moving forward, but it did show us what the Colts would do if he missed time.
While Kelly was out for the short period of time, Danny Pinter—currently the starting right guard—shifted over to center. Taking his place at right guard was the veteran Jason Spriggs, who signed with the team following the offseason workout program.
Kelly came back and Pinter shifted back to right guard, but it seems for now that Spriggs is the first man up at right guard if something happens.
5
Ifeadi Odenigbo making waves in pads
Some players simply play better with the pads on. While training camp notes can be difficult to gauge when players are running around in shells and shorts, there can be a stark difference when the pads come on.
For Odenigbo, who signed with the Colts following the offseason workouts, that’s when he turns it on. According to Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan, Odenigbo has been noticeably better with the pads on.
“A guy that I’ve noticed stand out in both full-padded practices: DE-Ifeadi Odeingbo. A late off-season signing, Odeingbo does have 10.5 career sacks in 41 games. He’s done some damage this camp. Speaking of the defensive line, you certainly see the first step bursts from rookie interior linemen in Eric Johnson and Curtis Brooks.”
Odenigbo is battling for the final spot in the defensive line room so the preseason will be crucial for him.
6
Gilly Lock in midseason form
Stephon Gilmore was one of the prized additions the Colts made during free agency this offseason, and it’s easy to see why that was the case through two weeks of training camp.
The veteran cornerback and former Defensive Player of the Year has had a strong camp with the Colts and Thursday was another example of what he can bring to the new defense under Gus Bradley.
According to Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star, Gilmore was hard to miss during Thursday’s practice.
“The five-time Pro Bowler and Defensive Player of the Year is never out of position, in part because his route recognition is so good. Often, it seems as if the receiver has an edge on Gilmore halfway through the route, but it turns out that Gilmore knows exactly what route his opponent is running, and he’s putting himself in better position to make a play on the ball.”
With Kenny Moore II on the other side, the Colts cornerback room is quickly turning into a strength.
7
What's next?
The Colts have Friday and Saturday off from practice and return to the Grand Park Sports Campus on Sunday, Aug. 7, to get back at it. They will have four practices leading up to the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, Aug. 13.
