15 Colts Players to Watch Throughout OTAs

The next stage of the Indianapolis Colts' offseason has officially arrived.

With free agency, the NFL Draft, and rookie minicamp all in the rearview mirror, the Colts kick off their voluntary OTAs on Tuesday. This will be the first step of roster integration as it is the first time that Indianapolis' 2026 draft class will share the practice field with their veteran counterparts.

Tuesday marks the first practice of several over the next couple of weeks, with the voluntary portions of these offseson workouts wrapping up on June 4 before mandatory minicamp (June 9-11) comes a week later.

OTAs will feature numerous players worth monitoring throughout, and we break them down below.

WR Josh Downs

Downs took a brief step back in production last year due to the emergence of wide receiver Alec Pierce and rookie tight end Tyler Warren, but with longtime top target-getter in Michael Pittman Jr. now in Pittsburgh, Downs is primed for a return to normalcy.

He will still remain the team's starting slot receiver, but with another set of demanding hands out of the equation, and with an opening at outside receiver, Downs should get much more opportunity when it comes to both targets and snaps.

DE Jaylahn Tuimoloau

The second-year defensive end has been eyeing the starting spot opposite Laiatu Latu, and will look to begin showcasing his new-look self once OTAs kick off on Tuesday.

Tuimoloau may have not logged a sack as a rookie, but his second-best pressure rate (12.1%) on the team suggested that there's untapped potential bubbling. His string of minor injuries as a rookie doesn't mean he's already an injury-prone player, but monitoring his health throughout the summer is still important.

WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (18) takes the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Colts brought in the veteran wideout in free agency after he was cast aside as a legitimate receiving option during his lone year with the Miami Dolphins, but Westbrook-Ikhine is looking to prove himself as a viable rotational piece, if not a starter, as he attempts to channel his success from his days with the Tennessee Titans, where he was a notable red-zone threat.

LB CJ Allen & S A.J. Haulcy

Almost every rookie drafted has a chance to play, but the Colts' first two draft selections -- Georgia's CJ Allen and LSU's A.J. Haulcy -- have the inside track to the starting spot at their respective positions.

Allen is essentially guaranteed to become defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's green dot as a rookie, whereas Haulcy has some proving to do based on the competition that Hunter Wohler and Juanyeh Thomas will bring to the opening at strong safety.

QBs Riley Leonard & Anthony Richardson Sr.

AR R — Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Anthony Richardson Sr. (5), Daniel Jones (17) and Riley Leonard (15) prepare for drills Monday, July 28, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Leonard and Richardson will make for the second consecutive summer in which Colts quarterbacks are competing for a role. This time, however, it will be the Colts' QB2 spot, whereas last season Richardson and Daniel Jones were battling it out for the starting role.

With Jones sidelined until training camp at the earliest, these two young quarterbacks have the opportunity to prove their worth. Leonard's trying to solidify himself as part of the Colts' quarterbacking plans moving forward, whereas Richardson is merely trying to stay afloat and right his wrongs altogether.

LBs West Weeks

As everyone knows, the Colts entered the NFL Draft cycle with a ton of work to do in their linebacker room, and have since come out the other side with some promising new players added to the mix.

The Colts doubled up at the position within their first four draft selections, taking Georgia's CJ Allen (53rd overall) and Oregon's Bryce Boettcher (135th overall), but there was still work to be done. While those two players are both expected to compete for starting roles, especially the former, the Colts' two undrafted rookie linebackers should not be cast aside entirely.

Colts' linebackers coach James Bettcher recently explained that both West Weeks and Tahj Chambers are made from the same cloth that they covet for their room, but it was Weeks who shined brightest during rookie minicamp. Weeks was given the most guaranteed money ($286.5k) among all Colts' UDFA signings, and is expected to fight for a roster spot thanks to his special teams upside.

OL Jalen Travis & Jalen Farmer

The Colts selected guard Jalen Farmer with their first of two fourth-round picks (113th overall), making OL Coach Tony Sparano Jr. a very happy man in the process. Farmer exclusively played at guard in college, but like Braden Smith did as a former guard-turned-tackle, he has the profile to play at tackle if called upon.

Second-year tackle Jalen Travis has been viewed as Smith's immediate replacement at right tackle since the 2025 season ended, especially since he showed promise during his four starts of relief for Smith down the strech, but now he must earn the opening with Farmer in the mix.

Previously deemed the Battle of the Jalens, these two young protectors will make for a lively position battle throughout the summer.

DT Colby Wooden

The Colts may have dealt their longtime leader of the defense in linebacker Zaire Franklin earlier this offseason, but they managed to get a promising defensive tackle in return of his services.

Defensive tackle Colby Wooden is entering the last year of his rookie contract, but his recent experience as a starter suggests that DeForest Buckner is being afforded some much-needed depth behind him as he attempts to return to form after suffering a serious neck injury that kept him out down the stretch of the 2025 season.

RBs DJ Giddens & Seth McGowan

Jonathan Taylor has been the true bellcow back that he is for the Colts in recent years due to a lack of depth behind him on the depth chart. Since Zack Moss' departure, the Colts have been looking for a back to complement Taylor's efforts, as well as give him a break from time to time, but to no avail.

DJ Giddens (5th-round, 2025) and Seth McGowan (7th-round, 2026) now serve as a back-to-back Day 3 (rounds 4-7) tandem that's meant to serve as this new-look depth. Giddens struggled to find his footing as a rookie, causing the Colts to pivot to veteran running back Ameer Abdullah down the stretch, but now they're banking on his development plus McGowan's experience in college to birth a definitive RB2 out of competition.

DBs Hunter Wohler & Justin Walley

Colts general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen reiterated earlier this offseason during the NFL Scouting Combine that defensive backs Hunter Wohler and Justin Walley would've had big roles as rookies had they not both had their seasons ended due to injury before they could begin.

Wohler is expected to have a similar role this year as he was supposed to a rookie, serving as a sub-package defender and overall strong depth at safety. For Walley, he's expected to be the Colts' first slot cornerback not named Kenny Moore II for the first time in the Ballard era following the nine-year veteran's recent release.

Bonus: Austin Brown

The former Wisconsin was given the second-most guaranteed money ($272.5k) among all Colts UDFA signings. Brown is safety with immense special teams upside who will use that to his advantage as he fights for a roster spot throughout the summer, with his first steps coming on Tuesday.

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