Good and Not So Good From Colts Training Camp: Is a Solid Roster Enough?

WESTFIELD, IN -- The Indianapolis Colts have wrapped up their second padded practice and sixth overall of training camp.

Although it's still early, there have been plenty of takeaways that suggest what caliber of team the 2026 Colts will be.

Joint practices and preseason matchups will paint a much clearer picture of just how effective this year's roster can be, but through six practices, it's difficult to envision a high ceiling. Ironically, it's also hard to suggest that the 2026 Colts will be downright bad, so the offseason predictions that have them hovering around a .500 record feel like the right grasp on their situation.

While the Colts feel destined to be a middling team once more under general manager Chris Ballard, there's reason to believe in the front office's confidence in the roster.

With that being said, I'm taking the opportunity to cover both the good and the bad from training camp thus far, as it feels like both sides are fighting to come out on top.

The Good

Key Players' Return to Form

The Colts have been banking on a collective return to form from quarterback Daniel Jones, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and cornerback Justin Walley, and they've gotten just that through six practices thus far.

Daniel Jones: The Colts' starting quarterback truly looks as if he never tore his Achilles late last season. He's been ultra-efficient in the short passing game during both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11, with his most recent practice on Tuesday proving that he's still got his legitimate ball-placement skills as he took the top off the Colts' (Sauce Gardner-less) starting secondary.

DeForest Buckner: The Colts' longtime star defensive tackle was fully cleared just in time for training camp and has slowly but surely been worked into the mix. Buckner's only just gotten started, but he's looked like the same player that's been donning the Colts' horseshoe since 2020.

Justin Walley: The second-year cornerback has remained a training camp demon in his return after tearing his ACL late in the 2025 preseason. Walley looks to have taken the torch from Kenny Moore II in seamless fashion, with consistently sticky coverage that's resulted in many break-ups.

Wide receiver Alec Pierce sort of falls into this category because although he didn't sustain a season-ending injury, his offseason clean-up surgery has kept him sidelined since late March. The Colts are confident he'll be ready by Week 1 of the regular season, and hopefully he returns to the gridiron sooner rather than later.

The Colts' star cornerback duo of Sauce Gardner (calf) and Charvarius Ward Sr. (concussions) also fit the bill, but were expected to make full recoveries much sooner than the other members of this group. Both players have returned to form and have flashed some serious potential that could have them in best tandem talks during the regular season.

Secondary Showing Ceiling

Colts DB — Jun 10, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) and Indianapolis Colts safety Cam Bynum (0) are seen during minicamp at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colts' starting defensive backfield has some serious potential. It's looked that way on paper since before training camp arrived, but so far they've only continued to prove it.

There hasn't been much action from the Colts' safety room, but that's also because, until Tuesday, the offense had yet to push the ball downfield. During today's practice, Bynum was bested on a couple of reps, but he's otherwise kept everything in front of him. Even on those reps he lost, Bynum was in great positioning.

The strong safety opening is still looking for a suitor to separate themself as the best option. Hunter Wohler and rookie A.J. Haulcy have split reps, yet neither has made a splash that suggests either will be a playmaker in the upcoming regular season.

The Colts' starting cornerback trio, however, looks like it could be one of the NFL's best. Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward Sr., and Justin Walley have looked every bit like an elite NFL cornerback room should, showcasing consistently sticky coverage that's resulted in a ton of pass break-ups.

Second-Year Players Taking Much-Needed Jump

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Jaylahn Tuimoloau (91) practices during the team’s minicamp Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Tyler Warren quickly established himself as one of the league's top tight ends as a rookie, but the rest of the Colts' 2026 draft class was sidelined for the majority of the 2025 season. Some of it was due to injury, some of it was necessary acclimation, but the Colts were confident in this class to take a collective next step this year.

The Colts were counting on their 2025 draft class (outside of Warren) to take this jump, and so far, it appears they have.

Jaylahn Tuimoloau: The second-year defensive end struggled to find a spot in the pass-rushing rotation as a rookie, but he's taken his intriguing pressure rate (second-best among all Colts) and turned it into tangible results so far in training camp. Through six practices, Tuimoloau has four would-be sacks. This is a much-needed start for the sophomore edge defender, but he'll need to continue stacking days if he wants to earn the defense's opening opposite Laiatu Latu.

Justin Walley: I've already talked about Walley's impressive return to form thus far, so I won't bore you with regurgitation. Just know that, like Daniel Jones, Walley appears to be the same player he was a calendar year ago when he was holding his own against the Colts' talented passcatchers of Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and Tyler Warren.

Jalen Travis: It seemed like rookie guard Jalen Farmer may be vying for Travis's projected role as the starting right tackle before training camp began, but through six practices thus far, Travis not only looks to be the clear-cut favorite, he's put on an impressive showing. Travis flashed as a legitimate long-term replacement for Braden Smith during his five games of relief as a rookie, and now there's reason to believe there will be little to no drop-off despite turning from a veteran to a first-time starter.

Hunter Wohler: The second-year safety was set for a big-time role as a rookie last year, but his Lisfranc injury in training camp ended his season before it could get started. Wohler's missed half of camp so far with a nagging hamstring injury, but when he's been available, he's been slotted in as the team's starting strong safety.

Not So Good

Lack of Playmakers Outside of Usual Suspects

Jul 31, 2026; Westfield, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen is seen on day three of training camp at Grand Park Sports Campus. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten what they wanted out of their expected top contributors thus far, but they still need playmakers to reveal themselves if they want to inspire confidence for the upcoming regular season.

They are betting on their past two draft classes to play a big part in their make-or-break campaign in 2026, and while 2025's class is off to a much-needed strong start, their rookie class has indeed looked like a group of unproven prospects.

Linebackers CJ Allen and Bryce Boettcher and safety A.J. Haulcy have flashed potential for stability at their respective positions through six practices thus far, but none has shown enough to consider them home-run draft picks just yet. Running back Seth McGowan has also impressed early on, yet he's still a work in progress.

Being patient with rookies is always the main goal, but the Colts have put themselves into a position where they're betting on numerous non-first-rounders to come into their own sooner rather than later. None of the rookies in question have looked like busts by any means, though the pressure on them to perform in year one is mounting quickly.

Indianapolis needs more than just its rookie class to bring out a playmaker, but so far, it's becoming difficult to believe they will provide as much contribution as they intended. It's still early, and the hope is that I'm forced to view this observation as an overreaction, but I can't help but be underwhelmed by what they have to offer as first-year players.

Solid Roster Won't Cut It

Jul 30, 2026; Westfield, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard is seen on day two of training camp at Grand Park Sports Campus. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colts have seemingly accepted being in a constant state of mediocrity since quarterback Andrew Luck abruptly retired ahead of the 2019 season, and while general manager Chris Ballard and Co. have recently made a concerted effort to spend top dollar for available talent, it's hard to say this roster feels different from those of the 2020s.

Last year's early-season efforts suggested that Ballard's intended vision was finally being played out on the big screen, with a reinforced belief coming after the team dished out premium capital for star cornerback Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline, but injuries and a tougher back half of the schedule proved to be too much to handle.

The new-look Colts will need to band together in a never-before-seen way if this regime wants to stick around. There have been some promising developments throughout training camp thus far, but not enough to warrant betting on a serious playoff push.

Sign Up For the Colts Daily Digest - OnSI’s Indianapolis Colts Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google