Colts Weapon Excluded from ‘Players to Build Around’ List

As the 2023 season slowly approaches and training camp is nearly underway, the Indianapolis Colts are ready to put the previous four-win season in the rearview mirror. Now that some signings have occurred and rookies drafted, the question is, “Who do the Colts build their future around?”

Well, Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger put together a piece titled “Three Players to Build Around for Every AFC Team.” For the Colts, Spielberger has three familiar names that could help shape what’s to come for the Shane Steichen era but doesn’t include one of the best that Indianapolis has.

In the entry, DT DeForest Buckner, G Quenton Nelson, and QB Anthony Richardson are listed as the most important pieces to Indianapolis. Spielberger breaks it down.

The Colts are such an interesting team because, despite landing the No. 4 overall pick following a disastrous 2022 campaign, the roster boasts blue-chip or very good players at many key spots. They just need to get healthy and simply play better.

Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. seems underrated despite hauling in 99 receptions in a passing offense that ranked dead last in expected points added per dropback, but he’s not necessarily an elite athlete, using his big 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame to haul in contested catches.He also rarely drops the football. The outside speed addition of 2022 second-rounder Alec Pierce and 2023 third-round pick Josh Downs, a shifty slot weapon, is a good start in building around the dynamic Anthony Richardson. And an option run game with Jonathan Taylor will be diabolical to stop once Richardson gets his NFL feet under him.

Buckner is still among the league’s best interior defenders and nose tackle Grover Stewart is entering a contract year as one of the more underrated players across the league. Growth from Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo and free agent acquisition Samson Ebukam could turn this unit into a problem, which will be needed with some major question marks lingering in the secondary.

The Colts are a talented team, that’s not in question. Now that there isn’t the conundrum of who the QB/Head Coach combination will be, the Colts can focus full-speed ahead on developing Richardson and getting him acquainted with the high-level speed of NFL defenses.

Richardson is an easy name to throw on the list since he’s the franchise’s future. Buckner is another simple inclusion, given he’s been fantastic up front without much help from the edge rushers since he was traded to Indianapolis in 2020. Nelson is understandably on the list but could have the case to be supplanted by a massive offensive weapon for the Colts.

That offensive weapon who was absent was Jonathan Taylor.

While it’s not a shock to see multi-time All-Pro guard Nelson’s name, it’s also factual that the guard position can be replaced. This isn’t to say Indianapolis should make that transaction (they shouldn’t), but Taylor is arguably the biggest reason why the addition of Richardson could be so deadly. Speilberger even mentions that the combination of the two could be “diabolical to stop.”

But, with the recent happenings in the league regarding the contracts and value of the running back position, it’s not too much of a shock to see Taylor’s name excluded from being one of the players to build around.

Despite this, he is still one of the single most deadly offensive players that the NFL has on any roster. He does need the solid blocking from Nelson, but it’s not the easiest thing to find a running back that displays the home run ability that Taylor possesses.

Some might argue a committee backfield could replace Taylor, but that is also a stretch given that the committee around him currently (Zack Moss, Evan Hull, and Deon Jackson) will have higher potential simply because Taylor is the lead horse.

In my opinion, Taylor should be switched out with Nelson on this list. While Nelson can be arguably the best guard in football on any given Sunday, it’s also true that guards are easier to replace than superstar offensive skill players, even if it is Nelson. While there’s no chance of Nelson being replaced any time soon (and for good reason), there is the bigger reality that Taylor could be in the long run. Perhaps this is why he isn’t one of the big three.

It’s fair to say that Buckner, Nelson, and Richardson are great players to include. With only three names, somebody of high value had to be omitted from the ranks. But, this offense in Indianapolis still runs through Taylor, and no other name is close.

With extensions being thrown around and his addition to the offense being of the highest importance, it will remain to be seen if the Colts trust Taylor enough to give him that elusive contract extension for a position that is continuously being devalued in the NFL.

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