The Indianapolis Colts will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium as the preseason continues to roll into its second week.
The starting lineups for the Colts aren’t expected to play Saturday with the exception of one or two players, according to head coach Frank Reich. Even with the starters out following two joint practices with the Lions this week, there is plenty to watch.
We already detailed the position battles to keep an eye on during this game.
Now, it’s time to take a look at seven Colts to watch on Saturday:
1
WR Mike Strachan
The second-year wideout missed the majority of OTAs and training camp up through the preseason opener because of a knee injury, which needed surgery. He was removed from the PUP list earlier this week and got off to a fast start working with the second-team offense against the Lions.
Strachan is battling for one of the final roster spots in the wide receiver room, and this will be our first glimpse of him since he suffered that knee injury in the spring.
2
TE Kylen Granson
This really should be about both Granson and rookie Jelani Woods. The season-ending injury to sixth-round pick Andrew Ogletree made this a two-player battle for the No. 2 role behind Mo Alie-Cox. Both players had strong performances in the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills, and Woods started to show some life during the joint training camp practices.
3
DE Ben Banogu
Banogu has had a solid showing thus far through training camp and the preseason opener. He set a strong edge against the Bills run game while adding two pressures as a pass rusher. He’s likely to see a ton of snaps Saturday against the Lions as he looks to lock up the backup LEO role behind Yannick Ngakoue.
4
DL Dayo Odeyingbo
Odeyingbo led the Colts with a whopping five total pressures during the preseason opener. The aggressive mindset of Gus Bradley’s defense appears to be working for the 2021 second-round pick. As Odeyingbo essentially enters a rookie season after dealing with an Achilles injury during his actual first season, it’s important for him to stack strong performances together.
5
LT Bernhard Raimann
The third-round pick is clearly behind Matt Pryor at left tackle, but this should be a good test for him on Saturday. The Colts are trying to get the rookie as many reps as possible to begin his career so don’t be surprised if we see a good chunk of Raimann against the Lions.
6
DT Curtis Brooks
Brooks has a chance to earn a depth role in the defensive tackle room behind Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner. Both he and fellow Day 3 draft pick Eric Johnson have shown some flashes throughout training camp and the preseason. A big game here could go a long way in securing his role.
7
CB Marvell Tell III
The cornerback room has two spots up for grabs and it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top for those roles. Tell has had his ups and downs throughout camp and the preseason, but he has a chance to make his mark against the Lions on Saturday.
