Biggest Takeaways From Day 5 of Colts Training Camp: First Padded Practice Paints a Clearer Picture

WESTFIELD, IN -- Real football started today for the Indianapolis Colts.

After a four-day ramp-up period that featured just helmets, the Colts have put on their pads as they officially kick off the preseason.

The four previous pad-less practices at training camp were no doubt an important sneak peek for what's to come in 2026, but today was the first time we've been able to gauge what type of impact this Colts roster is capable of.

With that being said, I'm breaking down the top takeaways I had from the Indianapolis Colts' first practice with pads

New Leader in Clubhouse for RB2

Indianapolis Colts running back Seth McGowan (20) catches a pass Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, during day four of Indianapolis Colts training camp at Grand Park in Westfield. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After the first week of practice showed little to no progress when it comes to determining the Colts' eventual primary backup behind star running back Jonathan Taylor, Monday's showing left us with confidence that rookie Seth McGowan is the favorite moving forward.

I deemed Taylor to be one of the team's biggest losers after the aforementioned string of helmets-only practices, and that's solely because the RB2 battle had been so uninspiring entering this week.

McGowan and second-year running back DJ Giddens had each flashed on the ground throughout the first week, with the former proving to be the better inside rusher and the latter being more of a zone rusher, but both also had multiple bad drops in the passing game. Giddens had one more drop than McGowan did, but neither had suggested they'd be reliable passcatchers through four practices.

We've been waiting for the padded practices to offer more opportunity to these backs to prove themselves as passcatchers, but also because we'll now start to see tangible results from them as pass protectors. McGowan not only had a strong catch-and-run on a swing pass, but he took the majority of the second-team reps and continues to look like the more physical back that Steichen and Co. have been looking to install behind Jonathan Taylor.

Time will tell if this materializes into anything, but so far, it's a fantastic start to real football for the Colts' seventh-round running back.

Efficient Offense Remains on the Menu

Starting quarterback Daniel Jones continues have total command of head coach Shane Steichen's offense. He's yet to truly air it out through five practices thus far, but he's hard not to praise his seamless return to form after coming back from a late-season Achilles tear.

Jones's depth of target almost exclusively resided in the 0-10-yard range during the Colts' first padded practice, but he still managed to find success despite consistently sticky coverage from each of the defense's starting cornerbacks.

Perhaps the potential for fireworks is being saved for when wide receiver Alec Pierce returns, but so far so good when it comes to the Colts channeling their historic offensive efficiency from a season ago.

Colts' CB Trio Continues to Flash Elite Status

The Colts' starting cornerback trio of Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward Sr., and Justin Walley has admittedly had one of the easiest challenges of any room throughout training camp as they've faced a wide receiver rotation of Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Laquon Treadwell, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, but the way they've dominated has been intriguing.

It hasn't been all defense as starting quarterback Daniel Jones has managed to get the best of this star trio on numerous occasions, but even then, none of the three cornerbacks in question have found themselves in poor positioning even when they've been bested for receptions.

It's been pass break-up and sticky coverage galore for the starting cornerbacks through five practices thus far, and the Colts' defensive staff is more than pleased with how they've teamed up.

Other Notes:

DT Depth Stock Continues to Soar: Newcomer Colby Wooden has continued to prove himself as the Colts' most underrated move of the offseason. He and fourth-year defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore have been projected to become the team's best reserve tandem across the interior in recent memory since Wooden was brought in via trade (for Zaire Franklin) earlier this offseason, and five practices thus far have quickly turned that projection into reality.

Blake Grupe: The Colts' had their first kicking competition during their third practice of training camp on Friday, and Blake Grupe narrowly had the better showing, but today they began with individual kicking days. Grupe got his opportunity today, whereas Spencer Shrader will gets his later this week. Grupe went 6-6 on the day with makes from 25, 33, 39, 45, 51, 57. So far, Grupe's flawless performance through camp, especially from beyond 50 yards, has made him the heavy favorite for the starting kicking job.

Position Battles: We'll be breaking this down in further detail in a later piece, but the Colts' position battles at WR3, linebacker, and kicker remain the most compelling of training camp thus far. There are now a couple of favorites at various battles throughout the roster, with the remaining duels at least confirming who's in consideration.

Notable Collision: Rookie CJ Allen met a pulling Quenton Nelson at the line of scrimmage, and it was such a quick and forceful trip to the point of attack that the veteran All-Pro guard made an effort to congratulate the rook immediately after the play concluded.

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