The Indianapolis Colts are 10 games into the 2023 season. At their bye in Week 11, the team stands right in the thick of the playoff hunt with a 5-5 record.
There have been many ups and downs so far and the rookie class has played a big contribution to the position the team finds itself in.
Here, we’re ranking the rookies that have had the biggest impact through the first 10 games of the season:
6
Honorable mention: DT Adetomiwa Adebawore
Adebawore was taken in the fourth round of the draft by the Colts at pick No. 110. Certain draft experts were surprised that Adebawore was still available when the Colts selected him and spoke highly of his ability.
Adebawore did not see much action early in the season, seeing his first game action in October mostly due to starting one-technique Grover Stewart receiving a six-game suspension on Oct. 17.
Seen Colts rookie DT Adetomiwa Adebawore win multiple pass-rush reps to create pressure. His athleticism pops in that phase.
— Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski) November 12, 2023
Over the last few weeks, Adebawore has seen his reps increase while also recording his first career sack against the Carolina Panthers.
All signs are pointing up for the fourth-round pick, but due to his lack of playing time earlier in the season, Adebawore just misses the cut for this list.
5
QB Anthony Richardson
Trust me, it really hurts to only put Richardson at five.
On one hand, Richardson showed a ton of promise as a rookie and proved to be ahead of schedule by a lot of metrics. On the other hand, to steal a very cliche phrase, “The best ability is availability.”
Anthony Richardson gets the first touchdown of his career!pic.twitter.com/nEaRf90YgP
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 10, 2023
So why is Richardson so low you may ask? Simply put, he wasn’t nearly as available as he needed to be during his rookie season.
In total, Richardson only played 173 snaps his rookie season and sustained multiple injuries that derailed a potentially promising rookie season.
Unfortunately for the Colts and Richardson, they will have to wait until Year 2 to hopefully see the impact on the field. But what we did see provided a lot of optimism toward the future.
4
OT Blake Freeland
The Colts shored up their offensive tackle depth when they selected Blake Freeland out of BYU at pick No. 106 in the fourth round of the draft.
Freeland came into the NFL having experience at both tackles spots and coincidentally enough has started in both spots this season. Freeland filled in two games at left tackle for Bernhard Raimann and four games at right tackle for Braden Smith.
I want to give a shoutout to Indianapolis #Colts rookie offensive tackle, Blake Freeland.
Freeland had to step in and play 2 games at left tackle and 4 games at right tackle. While it wasn't always pretty, getting him that experience was important.
With how much attrition there… pic.twitter.com/hGW4YDSnOc
— Cody Felger (@CPFelger55) November 16, 2023
While he had some up and down moments, those starts were important for Freeland to get his feet wet in the NFL.
With how much attrition there is in the NFL, having a quality swing tackle who can play both tackle spots like Freeland is critical and invaluable to have on your roster.
3
CB Jaylon Jones
The Colts selected cornerback, Jaylon Jones out of Texas A&M with the No. 221 overall pick in the seventh round of the NFL draft. Jones came into Indianapolis with a ton of experience in the ACC, logging 32 starts over three seasons despite being only 21 years old.
Early on in the season, Jones didn’t see much of the field due to being lower on the depth chart. However, injuries to a few different players have opened the door for Jones to gain more playing time.
The result? Jones has held his own through the four games he has started for Indianapolis this year.
We need to start talking about Jaylon Jones… pic.twitter.com/hY3hytSU9o
— Colts Topic (@ColtsTopic) November 15, 2023
Jones has been one of the best corners in the NFL in terms of low target percentage, high separation prevented and has posted a respectable 65.3 Pro Football Focus grade.
For being taken in the seventh round, Jones has been a nice find by Chris Ballard and company.
2
CB Julius Brents
The Colts selected cornerback, Julius Brents out of Kansas State with the No. 44 overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft. Brents came into the draft with a massive 6-3, 200-pound frame as well as an extremely athletic profile.
Brents came into the year at a disadvantage due to needing wrist surgery in the offseason. The wrist and then a hamstring injury forced Brents to miss the spring and a good chunk of training camp as well.
Juju Brents with the first interception of his career. #Colts#ForTheShoe#Jaguars#DUUUVAL#INDvsJAX pic.twitter.com/n9oXEJa5Cc
— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) October 15, 2023
Due to these circumstances, Brents was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season. When he did get on the field in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, Brents not only played well, but recorded the highest defensive grade for Indianapolis. Brents followed that performance up with another strong outing with his first career interception against Jacksonville a few weeks later.
He suffered a quad injury that has forced him to miss the last three games, but considering how he’s looked so far, Brents has been a nice selection by Indianapolis in the second round.
1
WR Josh Downs
Was it really any question?
To put it simply, Downs has been a home run pick by the Colts.
He was a third-round selection out of North Carolina and has been a Day 1 impact player for Indianapolis.
Through 10 games, Downs has recorded 43 catches for 523 yards and two touchdowns.
While he has been limited due to a knee injury over the last two weeks, Downs has still continued to shine when called upon.
Josh Downs is a stud. Get used to the name if you haven't already.pic.twitter.com/P8EQUtM8Gm
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 12, 2023
Before the injury, Downs was on pace to eclipse the century mark in receiving yards and finish second all-time in Indianapolis Colts’ history in receiving yards as a rookie, trailing only the great Marvin Harrison.
Hopefully, the bye will give Downs the much-needed rest he needs and allow him to continue to hunt the Indianapolis record books as a rookie.
