Colts vs. Broncos: Position Battles to Watch in Preseason Contest

The Indianapolis Colts coaches will have their eyes on these battles against the Denver Broncos.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (14) runs for a touchdown while Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones (18) defends in the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts will take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday to open their preseason slate.

At the time of writing this, head coach Shane Steichen has yet to announce how long the starters will play this week. But if Steichen follows what he did last season, the Colts' starters will play 2-3 series, or around a quarter and a half.

While wins and losses do not matter in the preseason, these contests allow coaches to evaluate players in position battles up and down the roster. Let's look at the top position battles to watch this week when the Colts take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (10) lines up during the Colts’ training camp Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

X Wide Receiver

The battle for the starting X wide receiver has waged on throughout training camp between Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell. Both have split reps with the first-team offense and have had their fair share of opportunities to show what they bring to the table. Pierce has had a couple of days where he has shined. Mitchell, who started camp a little slow, has come on of late and is now consistently making plays in 11-on-11 sessions.

It will be interesting to see how the Colts use Pierce and Mitchell when the starters play on Sunday. The snap discrepancy between the two and the various packages each is used in is worth monitoring. Pierce and Mitchell may also get opportunities to play together as the Colts look for different combinations of receivers while Josh Downs recovers from a high-ankle sprain.

The Colts coaching staff feels the battle between Pierce and Mitchell is very close. How each player performs in the preseason may help determine who sees the lion's share of the snaps in the regular season, and ultimately wins the competition.

Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) reacts after making an interception Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Free Safety

A fairly underwhelming position battle in training camp has been free safety. Nick Cross has been the starter and has taken most of the first-team reps. Unfortunately, his most memorable moment has been his role in injuring Downs on Wednesday. Outside of an interception, Cross has done little to separate himself from the rest of the safeties fighting for the job.

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Those safeties would be Rodney Thomas II and Ronnie Harrison Jr. While both have received some reps with the starting defense, Thomas has been the primary backup to Cross. Harrison has spent most of his time at strong safety behind Julian Blackmon.

With rumors continuing to swirl around the Colts' interest in veteran free agent safety Justin Simmons, Sunday presents a chance for Cross, Thomas, or Harrison to stand out and gain an edge in the position battle.

Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods (80) runs during training camp Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tight End

Coming into training camp, many thought that third-year tight end Jelani Woods would ascend to take over the top spot at the position. That has not been the case, as Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox have been firmly entrenched as the starters. Drew Ogletree has also received more snaps with the first-team offense than Woods, speaking to the latter's standing within the tight end room.

Outside of Granson, the tight end group has been relatively quiet. The Colts believe Woods and Ogletree have great potential, but neither is seizing the opportunity to take control of the position.

How the Colts use the tight ends on Sunday will be notable as we look to see how much run Woods and Ogletree get with the starters. If the answer is not much, that indicates a smaller role than originally planned for the Colts' young tight end duo.

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