Hicks: 2021 Colts' 53-Man Roster (Version 2.0)
The Indianapolis Colts are coming off of a win over the Carolina Panthers in the first week of the preseason. Following the win, the team made five roster cuts to get roster down to the league mandated 85 players.
The five moves the Colts' made were; placed defensive end Damontre Moore on IR, waived/injured receiver Quartney Davis and safety Nick Nelson, and waived running back Darius "Jet" Anderson and tight end Graham Adomitis.
This is the first of many cuts to come this offseason. With these moves already made and the Colts getting ready for preseason game two, I decided to take another shot at a 53-man roster prediction.
Let me know how I did in the comments below! I'll be posting another one later in the preseason prior to kickoff for the regular season.
Offense (25)
Quarterback (3) — Carson Wentz, Jacob Eason, Sam Ehlinger
This was the easiest position battle to predict. Carson Wentz is the starter once he returns from injury, and second-year quarterback Jacob Eason has had a strong offseason filling in as the starter.
Coming into the offseason, rookie Sam Ehlinger may have been viewed as a roster bubble player. After a few strong practices in camp that have caught the eye of the coaching staff, there is virtually no chance that Ehlinger doesn't make the team.
Also, if Wentz does miss time in the regular season, the Colts will need a backup quarterback to Eason.
Running Backs (4) — Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, Marlon Mack, Jordan Wilkins
Another fairly easy positional group to predict. Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines are locked in as the top two backs on the team. Marlon Mack, returning from an achilles injury, will be the third back in a limited role.
Jordan Wilkins, as he is every year, is certainly on the bubble but his blend of dependability and special teams ability should keep him safe. He is also the most experienced of the players competing for the fourth running back spot, which should also give him an advantage.
Benny LeMay and rookie Deon Jackson have had good camps, and could very well end up on the practice squad, but I don't see either beating out Wilkins for his spot.
Wide Receiver (6) — T.Y. Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell, Zach Pascal, Michael Strachan, Ashton Dulin
The top four receivers of Hilton, Pittman Jr, Campbell, and Pascal are safe, and they should be the four players getting the most playing time this season. Rookie wide receiver Michael Strachan should also be safe with how phenomenal of a camp he has had.
That leaves the final spot on the roster up to either Dulin, DeMichael Harris, or Dezmon Patmon. While Harris and Patmon are both talented players who have earned a roster spot, I still had to go with Dulin due to his ability on special teams and the fact that he can play all three receiver positions.
The Colts could find a replacement for Dulin on special teams with another player on the roster but at the moment, that is the deciding factor for this receiver spot that receives very little playing time on offense.
Tight Ends (3) — Jack Doyle, Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson
Another position that is pretty straightforward. Doyle and Alie-Cox are the surefire starters (as they have been the last few years). Granson has made some plays in camp and hasn't done anything that would suggest his roster spot is in jeopardy.
Second-year player Farrod Green has had an impressive camp and should be a nice practice squad stash for the Colts if any of these top three players miss time with injury in the season.
Offensive Linemen (9) — Eric Fisher, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski, Braden Smith, Chris Reed, Julien Davenport, Danny Pinter, Sam Tevi
The starters are locked in, and I have Fisher being activated off of the Physically Unable to Perform list prior to the season in hopes that he can play prior to week six. I envision a likely scenario where Fisher makes the opening day roster and is then immediately placed on Injury Reserve with the hope of bringing him back after three weeks rather than the six required on the PUP list.
With Fisher making the roster, it makes the offensive line projection a bit of a tighter number crunch. Reed and Pinter should be safe as vital interior depth pieces. I opted to keep Davenport and Tevi as the two tackles until Fisher returns from injury.
Davenport has seemingly outplayed both Tevi and Will Holden in camp, and Tevi offers more athleticism than Holden does. Seventh round rookie Will Fries was a tough cut for me, but I could see him being a practice squad stash that comes back to the roster if/when Fisher is placed on IR (in this scenario).
Defense (25)
Defensive Linemen (9) — Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Antwaun Woods, Tyquan Lewis, Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu , Al-Quadin Muhammad, Isaac Rochell (Dayo Odeyingbo on reserve/PUP)
The comfortably safe players in this group are Buckner, Stewart, Paye, Lewis, and Turay. After that, there are so many ways the Colts could go with this area of the defense.
Woods is a veteran defensive tackle who should make the team as the backup to Stewart at the 1-Tech position. Muhammad is a coach favorite player whose versatility is a big plus. Banogu should also be safe considering how he has fared in camp, although it wouldn't completely surprise me to see him moved prior to final cutdowns.
That leaves Rochell or Andrew Brown for the final spot. I went with Rochell, even though he has been more underwhelming in camp than Brown. With Odeyingbo on the PUP list to start the year, the Colts will likely want more of a backup for his position at left end/3-Tech.
Linebackers (6) — Darius Leonard, Bobby Okereke, Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, Jordan Glasgow, Malik Jefferson
This group has been an easy one to predict for years with few surprises. Leonard, Okereke, Franklin, and Speed are the surefire locks to make the team.
Glasgow has missed most of training camp, but the coaches rave about his ability on special teams. I doubt he misses the team with that being such a focus of bottom-of-the-roster players.
I did have Jefferson beating out Matthew Adams for the final spot, however. With both Speed and Franklin being able to play the SAM position, it makes Adams a bit expendable to the defense. Jefferson is a better athlete and a better special teams player than Adams.
Cornerbacks (6) — Kenny Moore II, Xavier Rhodes, Rock Ya-Sin, TJ Carrie, Marvell Tell III, Isaiah Rodgers
This was a pretty easy group to select from considering that the Colts don't have any other cornerbacks worthy of a roster spot on the team. Moore II and Rhodes are top players at their position, and Carrie is a reliable veteran.
Ya-Sin and Tell III are young corners competing for a starting spot and Rodgers is a core special teamer with elite athleticism. Hopefully one of these three young corners can take a big step forward in 2021.
Safeties (4) — Julian Blackmon, Khari Willis, George Odum, Andre Chachere
Blackmon and Willis are locked in as the starters, while Odum is one of the best special teams players in the league.
The only surprise is the addition of Chachere, who was more of an afterthought going into the offseason. He has had a strong camp, and he's seen more snaps at safety with the starters than any other depth safety the Colts have.
Specialists (3)
Kicking Game (3) — Rodrigo Blankenship, Rigoberto Sanchez, Luke Rhodes
Yup, kickers have to take spots on the roster too, I guess.
NOTABLE COLTS CUTS
WR Dezmon Patmon, WR DeMichael Harris, TE Farrod Green, DT Andrew Brown, DT Taylor Stallworth, OT Will Holden, SAF Shawn Davis, LB Matthew Adams
Have thoughts on my second crack at a 53-man Colts' roster prediction? Drop a line in the comments section below!
Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.
