Horseshoe Huddle

3 Secret Weapons on Colts Offense

These names are overlooked but possess potentially immense impact for the Indianapolis Colts offense.
Drake Wally|
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (10) drops a pass while New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) defends during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (10) drops a pass while New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) defends during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

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Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are heading into a huge third year with Shane Steichen and quarterback Anthony Richardson. Things haven't gone to plan, as Steichen sits at 17-17 with no playoffs achieved. As for Richardson, he fell apart in his sophomore year and has a lot of ground to make up if he wants to start over Daniel Jones.

While that story will dominate everything, other underlying positives stick out for the Colts' offense.

Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Jonathan Taylor, and Quenton Nelson all deserve their praise, but overlooked players with impact potential exists on the roster.

Here are three that stand out, and while they might not be superstars, they could play a vital role in rounding out Steichen's game plan.

Will Mallory - Tight End

Colts tight end Will Mallory (blue and white uniform) tries to break a tackle.
Oct 20, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Will Mallory (86) is tackled by Miami Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (6) during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The Colts had a tight end fallout in 2024, leading to the team deciding to take Tyler Warren with the 14th overall pick. There are names like Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree likely to back up Warren, but another talent has skills to be dynamic: Will Mallory.

Mallory was hardly involved last year, with four catches for 29 receiving yards. But in his rookie year, he displayed his speed traits. Mallory caught 18 passes for 207 receiving yards, resulting in a healthy 11.5 yards per catch average and 11 first downs.

After Mallory looked good in OTAs, don't be shocked if he's deployed more in 2025. Mallory was the 2023 NFL draft's fastest tight end, clocking in at a blazing 4.57 seconds for the 40-yard dash.

We'll see what happens in Mallory's third year in the tight end group led by Warren.

DJ Giddens - Running Back

Colts running back DJ Giddens (white uniform) runs into open space.
Nov 30, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; Kansas State Wildcats running back DJ Giddens (31) runs the football against the Iowa State Cyclones in the first quarter at at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Colts may have a superstar in Jonathan Taylor, but the former All-Pro is still human and needs help in the backfield. This is especially true given Steichen's offense being centered around the ground game.

Last year, Taylor didn't have much support from Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson. This prompted Chris Ballard to use Indy's fifth-round pick on Kansas State's DJ Giddens.

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Giddens will compete with free agent signee Khalil Herbert, but the former Wildcat has more to offer as Taylor's relief. Giddens was efficient in college, rushing for 3,087 yards on 517 attempts for an average of 6.0 yards per carry and 27 total touchdowns (23 rushing, four receiving).

Giddens may not see a ton of carries, but the running game has far more of a chance to stay consistent and potentially explosive when Taylor has to hit the sidelines.

Giddens does have to beat out Herbert for the right of the RB2 role, but he can make it happen and look good in his role.

Adonai Mitchell - Wide Receiver

Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (blue and white uniform) tries to extend for extra yards.
Nov 17, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (10) reaches short of the end zone against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Colts wanted to push Alec Pierce after two less-than-stellar seasons. They did this by drafting Adonai Mitchell out of Texas with the 52nd overall pick in 2024. Mitchell's talent was intriguing, but that didn't translate into his rookie year, as Pierce would break out while Mitchell fell into the WR4 role.

Mitchell ended up catching only 23 passes out of 55 targets for 312 receiving yards. While Richardson struggled badly with accuracy, it's hard to deny that partial responsibility has to be placed on Mitchell with the catch percentage lying at 41.8.

The good news is Mitchell can make it happen in year two if he's in sync with his quarterback, fights harder for contested catches, and continues being a fantastic separator in the passing game.

If Mitchell hits a sophomore stride, he can be a deadly weapon, even at the fourth spot on the wide receiver depth chart. It also gives the Colts more to implement offensively, which also helps whoever starts under center.

Keep an eye on Mitchell, as he possesses incredible talent to break off coverage to put defenders on a chase.

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Drake Wally
DRAKE WALLY

Drake Wally is a co-deputy editor of Indianapolis Colts on SI. His works have also appeared on Bleacher Report, MSN, Yahoo, and SBNation. He also co-hosts the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast.

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