Colts Offensive Position Most Competitive on 2024 Roster

The Indianapolis Colts have plenty of competition on the roster, but one position stands out most.

Jan 8, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; A pass intended for Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods (80) goes incomplete Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports / Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts roster looks as promising as it has in years heading toward the 2024 regular season. From an offensive, defensive, and special teams perspective, talent isn't in short supply for Shane Steichen, Gus Bradley, and Brian Mason to work with.

While notable positions like quarterback, receiver, cornerback, and defensive line get a lot of attention for Indianapolis, the tight end group is arguably the most murky and unknown in 2024 despite having immense talent for a single position. Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, Will Mallory, and Drew Ogletree are the players who occupy this position room; each with a unique argument to get the most snaps and playing time over the rest.

With this important topic on hand, it's time to break down each player for the Colts tight end position and what skills each possesses that set them apart (X-Factor) in this competition. We start with the most athletic of the group, Woods.

Jelani Woods | X-Factors (Size and Athleticism)

Jan 1, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods (80) catches the ball during warm ups before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Woods was drafted 73rd overall in round three of the 2022 NFL Draft by Indianapolis. Immediately, Woods' monstrous size and athleticism jumped off the page to the Colts, making them realize the immense potential of the former Virginia Cavalier.

During his combine, Jelani Woods received a perfect 10 RAS and ranked No. 1 out of 1,006 TEs eligible in NFL history.

To say he is an excellent athlete would be an understatement 🦄

📸: @MathBomb https://t.co/RP1SbSvIsV pic.twitter.com/Lp8QgaQVTx

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) June 8, 2024

While Woods wasn't a huge threat during year one, he showed glimpses of what he could accomplish while working with a disastrous offense in 2022. Woods finished with 15 games (two starts), 25 catches for 312 yards and three scores. Woods also accounted for 16 first downs, making up 64% of his catches.

2023 was on tap to be a massive year for Woods with Steichen calling plays and Anthony Richardson under center. However, Richardson and Woods would struggle to stay healthy, with the latter never seeing the field due to hamstring setbacks.

Now that he's recuperated from the hamstring injuries, Woods looks ready to fire away as the favorite to lead the Colts and tight end group. With his fantastic frame and speed, Woods likely has the best fit if he remains on the field and avoids injuries. However, there is still the question mark of what he's capable of with such a limited sample size over two years, which is why he has a good chance to take a majority of the snaps, but not amazing odds.

Kylen Granson | X-Factor (Ability to Separate)

Sep 17, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Granson (83) celebrates with quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) after his touchdown in the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Granson enters his fourth season with the Colts in 2024 with the hope of achieving career bests across the board. Up to this point, Granson has underwhelmed with 72 catches for 776 receiving yards and one score through 45 games in Indy. Where Granson is deadly, however, is in space and the slot.

Granson led all Colts tight ends in snaps last year with 496, per Pro Football Focus. While he barely edged out Alie-Cox (434), Granson set bests in targets (50), receiving yards (368), and average yards per reception (12.3). While these aren't stellar metrics, it's an indication that Granson can make it work with multiple passers (now six in his career).

Granson's ability to get downfield and separate at the point of the route break will help him take away snaps from the other tight ends given he's the best at this skill. But there are youngsters and veterans with him who are looking to make a statement in 2024.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Mo Alie-Cox | X-Factor (Red Zone Threat)

Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox (81) brings in a pass for a touchdown in front of Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson (55) on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. / Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY

Alie-Cox is the veteran tight end for Indy, entering his seventh NFL season with all as a Colt. However, similar to Granson, Alie-Cox hasn't put up the most effective numbers through 91 games (102 catches for 1,286 receiving yards).

While 102 catches over seven seasons isn't exciting at all, Alie-Cox still has snagged 14 touchdowns through it all. This equates to 13.7% of the veteran's receptions as scores. Alie-Cox also is a first-down machine, with 62 of his career snags being to move the chains.

Alie-Cox is currently the biggest threat for Indy's tight ends as a red zone target. With a similar build and type of athleticism to Woods, Alie-Cox likely isn't going anywhere as someone to go to when a big play is needed. He can also block well and has established himself as a trusted veteran for the Colts. Alie-Cox's biggest downside is his expensive contract that isn't indicative of his statistics (three years; $17.55 million per Over The Cap). This salary ranks 22nd in the league out of 189 possible tight ends and Indy is unlikely to pay him close to this if retained after 2024.

Will Mallory | X-Factors (Speed and Hands)

Dec 24, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant (27) wraps up Indianapolis Colts tight end Will Mallory (86) as he makes a catch and turns to run during a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Scheer-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Scheer-USA TODAY Sports

Drafted last year in the fifth round (162nd overall), Mallory flew under the radar for the 2023 draft class. What many didn't know about the Miami tight end is his 4.54-second 40-yard dash was the fastest of all 2023 prospects at his position, likely enticing an offensive mind like Steichen to get Mallory.

Will Mallory was drafted with pick 162 of round 5 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.05 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 106 out of 1105 TE from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/dr1hq7jdqW pic.twitter.com/sCTEmV3Kqh

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023

Mallory didn't light it up in 2023 but still displayed explosiveness, fantastic catch radius/hands, and exceptional ability to exploit coverage mismatches. Mallory played 12 games and caught 18 passes (26 targets) for 207 receiving yards and a long of 43.

The downside for Mallory is Indianapolis didn't trust him to block nearly at all, instead favoring him as a move tight end and strict pass-catcher. We'll have to see if Mallory can rise in a competitive position room where Indy will likely want him to both improve blocking and continue to ascend as an offensive weapon.

Andrew Ogletree | X-Factor (Blocking)

Aug 13, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Andrew Ogletree (85) runs with the ball after making a catch against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Ogletree was on the field plenty through the first half of 2023. Starting nine of his 12 total games, Ogletree found his footing in year two after missing all of the 2022 campaign with a torn ACL during the off-season. Ogletree caught nine passes for 147 receiving yards and two touchdowns. While these aren't voluminous numbers, he played a vital part in helping Richardson find downfield help on the field and made explosive plays.

Ogletree's strength as a tight end lies in his ability to block. Ogletree was the best on Indy in run-blocking efficiency per PFF with 63.1 and also displayed solid pass-protection prowess. As long as Ogletree avoids off-field issues, there's a good chance he is TE2 behind Woods or potentially the starter if he outperforms the rest of his positional competition. Ogletree's value as a blocker can't be overlooked in a Colts offense predicated on the ground game and Richardson's athletic abilities. This could be the most competitive position battle to watch for Indy's 2024 off-season and Ogletree is a sleeper to take over. We'll see what happens as kickoff is just over the horizon.  

---

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X; subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.