3 Colts Bubble Players Shine Against Buffalo Bills

These 3 players drastically improved their chances to make the roster in preseason week one.

The Indianapolis Colts took to the field for their first preseason game of the season this past Saturday. While they did fall 23-19 to the Buffalo Bills, there was a lot to like from this young team in the preseason debut.

The offseason is a time for roster battles and seeing which players can do just enough in camp to secure spots 40-53 on the opening day roster. A majority of the roster is locked in place, so it is important to keep an eye on these bottom of the roster players to see who can make it on the initial 53-man roster.

Preseason football is extremely important for these players, and there were three players in particular that really stood out to me on film review. I'm not saying that these players are roster locks (well I will be saying that about one of them), but they each drastically improved their chances at getting a spot with their strong play this past Saturday.

1.) Grant Stuard, Linebacker

The best overall player in the entire game this past Saturday was linebacker Grant Stuard. The veteran backer amassed 12 tackles, multiple run stops, and a forced fumble in quite a bit of action against the Bills. Stuard wasn't necessarily on the bubble going into this game, but he certainly locked in his spot on the 53 man roster with an impressive performance. 

Stuard, 24, was acquired by the Colts in a late pick swap prior to last season. Mostly known for his ability on special teams, Stuard led the team in special teams tackles last season while seeing limited time on defense. With the departure of Bobby Okereke in free agency, Stuard may be earning himself some more defensive snaps in 2023 with his strong play this offseason.

Stuard's play of the game came in the third quarter when he dislodged the ball from the Bills' tight end on third and long to force a massive fumble. That playmaking ability was sorely missed on the Colts' defense last season, and Stuard brought his A game this past Saturday. The biggest winner on the entire team in this game was without a doubt Grant Stuard.

2.) Arlington Hambright, Offensive Tackle

The Colts' second team offensive line was simply dreadful in this game, allowing multiple pressures and three sacks in their three quarters of play. For a team that was absolutely killed by lack of depth up front last season, this is a troubling sign for the Colts and their starting rookie quarterback. Luckily, Arlington Hambright did muster up a solid debut at backup left tackle against the Bills.

In 21 pass blocking snaps, Hambright didn't allow a single pressure or sack on the left side. This is a promising sign, especially since Hambright came into this offseason as the team's backup left guard. An injury to rookie Jake Witt forced Hambright to the tackle spot, and he has held his own ever since.

Hambright did an impressive job of varying his pass sets to keep opposing rushers off balance in this game. He understood exactly when to hunker down in vertical sets and when to be aggressive with angle sets and chase blocks. He looked a bit awkward and unorthodox at times, but Arlington Hambright certainly put together a strong game at left tackle in this outing.

3.) Khalid Kareem, Defensive End

The Colts are in the midst of revamping their defensive end depth, so it is truly an open competition between players like Tyquan Lewis, Genard Avery, Titus Leo, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Khalid Kareem for a handful of depth spots. After one preseason game, I would give the slight edge to Kareem in this intense battle.

Kareem put together a solid overall game, coming away with a few run stops and an impressive sack off of the edge in the third quarter. Kareem's sack was one of the overall highlights for the defense in this one, as he seamlessly beat the right tackle with a powerful swipe before turning the corner for a big hit on the opposing quarterback.

Kareem is an intriguing young player that spent half of last season with the team. The former fifth round pick is also only 25, so there could still be some potential to work with in his game. Overall, this was a strong outing that he certainly needed in this DE depth race for the Colts.

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