The Indianapolis Colts are over a quarter of the way through the 2022 regular season, which means we’ve gotten a glimpse at what the rookie class has to offer.
It’s unwise to make declarations about rookies so early into their careers. Some have popped thus far, but most of them are still learning the ins and outs of life in the NFL—both on and off the field.
We’ll check back in at around the midway point of the season as well but with five games under their belts, let’s check in on the Colts’ rookie class, which includes eight draft picks and a few undrafted rookies.
WR Alec Pierce
This selection looks like it’s going to be a strong one for Chris Ballard’s regime. The second-round pick hasn’t quite taken over the No. 2 wide receiver role in terms of snaps or routes run, but he has in terms of production. Despite missing a game (Week 2), Pierce is second on the team in targets (18) and receiving yards (222) while sitting third in receptions (15). His 10.1 yards per target leads all pass-catchers for the Colts. It’s only a matter of time before he and Michael Pittman Jr. are the unquestioned 1-2 punch.
OT Bernhard Raimann
It was known that Raimann would be somewhat of a project when he was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, but now he’s getting thrown into the fire a bit. The 25-year-old got his first start in Week 5 on a short week mostly because of the issues along the offensive line. It wasn’t the best starting debut, but there were some encouraging moments. The only way he’ll truly learn is by getting reps so even though we should expect some growing pains along the way, Raimann appears set up to earn the starting left tackle role moving forward.
TE Jelani Woods
Though his usage has been scarce, Woods has already flashed that high ceiling we saw when the Colts drafted him. He scored two touchdowns in the upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs and had a 33-yard catch against the Tennesee Titans in Week 4. He’s still the third tight end on the depth chart and it’s likely going to stay that way, which isn’t a surprise when it comes to rookie tight ends. But it’s encouraging that we’ve already seen those flashes as a receiver.
S Nick Cross
Throughout training camp and even Week 1, it appeared Cross was going to be the starting safety for the season. However, Cross played 65% of the snaps in Week 2 and has seen just one snap on defense across the next three games combined. The 21-year-old still has an extremely high ceiling and it still wouldn’t be a surprise if he takes over a bigger role down the stretch. But his role as a full-time starter has been put on hold for now.
DT Eric Johnson II
The fifth-round pick out of Missouri State has been on the active roster since making the initial roster cuts to begin the season. He’s played 31 snaps on defense across five games, working mostly as a depth piece. But anytime a fifth-round pick holds a spot on the roster during his first season typically means he’s doing something right. Expect Johnson to continue serving as a back-end rotational piece on the defensive line.
TE Andrew Ogletree
The sixth-round pick out of Youngstown State tore his ACL during a joint training camp practice with the Detroit Lions so he won’t have an update during his rookie campaign.
DT Curtis Brooks
Another sixth-round pick, Brooks failed to make the initial roster cuts but was signed to the practice squad. That’s not at all surprising, but he’s yet to be called up to the active roster this season. Until he gets that call-up, Brooks will continue his development on the practice squad.
DB Rodney Thomas II
One of the pleasant surprises through the first five games, Thomas has been the one to fill in as the starting safety while Julian Blackmon rehabs an ankle injury. While it’s a bit surprising to see Thomas start over Cross, the production on the field can’t be argued. Thomas has made a handful of beautiful plays down the field as a deep safety and even came away with his first interception during the Week 5 game against the Broncos. The Colts should feel comfortable with the three-man rotation at safety when Blackmon eventually comes back.
LB JoJo Domann
The Colts opted to keep Domann as the lone undrafted rookie linebacker on the roster. He’s been a mainstay on special teams having played 65.1% of the snaps, good for the fourth-most on the team.
CB Dallis Flowers
The undrafted rookie may have been a bit of a surprise addition to the roster during final cuts, but it’s easy to see why the Colts wanted to keep him. He was a healthy scratch for the first four games but was active in Week 5 against the Broncos. He played 42% of the special teams snaps and forced a fumble, but it was recovered by the Broncos.
