The Indianapolis Colts concluded training camp Thursday with a light practice at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, their 16th practice since the commencement of training camp in late July.
With the regular season right around the corner, the Colts still have the preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
But with training camp officially over, here are the biggest takeaways:
1
Matt Ryan's arrival
The Colts will be trotting out their fifth starting quarterback in as many years and as far as the new arrival is concerned, the veteran has been checking all the boxes. From his leadership in the huddle to his accuracy in setting up his receivers for yards after the catch, all has been well in getting Ryan to mesh with the team.
2
Sam Ehlinger impressing
Whether the Colts will actually keep three quarterbacks on the active roster remains to be seen, but Ehlinger has been doing everything he can to make that decision difficult for general manager Chris Ballard. The second-year signal-caller has been pristine through two preseason games completing 19-of-22 passes (86.4%) for 224 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s also added five carries for 26 rushing yards.
3
Running back competition
We know the Colts are going to roll with Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines as major impact players in the offense, but they still need to round out the room. At the end of training camp, it appears Phillip Lindsay has an inside track for the RB3 role while Ty’Son Williams, Deon Jackson and D’vonte Price battle it out for the RB4 spot.
4
Who has emerged at WR?
The top four spots in the wide receiver room are locked in, especially with how well Ashton Dulin has been playing as a receiver. His big contribution will come on special teams, but he has been an impressive player on offense. Rounding out the wide receiver room is difficult to project, but Dezmon Patmon and Mike Strachan both created some separation in the competition with strong outings in the second preseason game against the Detroit Lions. Another player to keep an eye on is Keke Coutee, though he hasn’t practiced or played since injuring his groin in the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills.
5
Matt Pryor is the clear starting LT
Really from the start of the spring practices, Pryor has been the guy at left tackle. The Colts drafted Bernhard Raimann in the third round and still believe he can be the long-term answer on the blindside, but Pryor is going into the start of the regular season as the clear-cut starter.
6
RT depth concerns
The Colts have some serious question marks at right tackle behind starter Braden Smith. The idea is to have veteran Dennis Kelly hold that role, but he’s been out with a knee injury since the start of camp. If that injury lingers or keeps Kelly from being fully capable of playing himself, the Colts may find it difficult to rely on players like Ryan Van Demark and Jordan Murray, two young players who have struggled during the preseason.
7
DT depth
Another area of mild concern surrounding the depth of the roster is at defensive tackle behind Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner. The rookies in Eric Johnson and Curtis Brooks have had some flashes here and there, but it hasn’t been enough to have full confidence they can hold a major rotational role early on. Additionally, Chris Williams has missed the majority of training camp due to an undisclosed lower leg injury. This is an area that may come back to haunt the Colts if the depth doesn’t shore up during the season.
8
UDFA LBs grabbing spots?
The Colts have a quartet of undrafted rookie free agent linebackers who all have an argument to make the roster. Jojo Domann and Sterling Weatherford likely have the best cases to make the initial 53-man roster given their upside as defensive players and their potential on special teams. Meanwhile, Forrest Rhyne and James Skalski have flashed on special teams as well. Don’t be surprised if two of these undrafted rookies make the initial roster.
9
Gilly Lock
Anyone who believed Stephon Gilmore was washed may need to reconsider that notion. The veteran cornerback and former Defensive Player of the Year has been nothing but superb in Gus Bradley’s defense. There have been few moments featuring Gilmore losing a battle, and it’s clear the Colts should have a strong tandem at cornerback with Kenny Moore II there as well.
10
Nick Cross impressing
We may look back at the 2022 NFL draft and wonder how Cross fell to the third round. The rookie safety, who isn’t even 21 years old yet, has been an impressive player for the Colts throughout training camp and their two preseason games thus far. He’s battling for the starting role with veteran Rodney McLeod, but the rookie has all of the tools to be a star in the NFL.
