The Colts 3 Best Players According to PFF

Pro Football Focus picked the Indianapolis Colts three-best players, and it shows there's a lot of talent on the team.

The Indianapolis Colts were considered a dark horse candidate for the Super Bowl prior to a disappointing 2022 season. Instead of a playoff run, the Colts found themselves with a top-5 pick in the NFL Draft and a new head coach.

However the Colts were considered to have a good group of players in key positions prior to last season's collapse, and that hasn't necessarily changed.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) picked the three best players on every NFL team, and their choices (and omissions) for the Colts proves they are deeper in talent than their 4-12-1 record might indicate.

They chose running back Jonathan Taylor, defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, and offensive lineman Quenton Nelson. 

This exercise was a good reminder that although the 2022 season was a disaster in Indianapolis, the roster will have good talent. Taylor remains one of the best backs in the league, and though it was a quiet year for Nelson, he’s still an imposing trench player. Buckner is an impact player every year. Shaquille Leonard, Isaiah Rodgers, Michael Pittman Jr. and others are also standouts for a Colts team that could enjoy a big bounce-back year in 2023. -- Trevor Sikkema, PFF Premium

PFF also listed linebacker Shaq Leonard, wide receiver Michael Pittman, and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers as players they considered.

Leonard battled injury his entire 2022 season. His ability to create turnovers in the middle of the Colts defense was sorely missed last season.

Pittman was considered one of the top-young receivers in the NFL after 1,082 yards and six touchdowns in 2021. 

Rodgers has been on nearly every "underappreciated" and "sleeper" list in the preseason after a breakout 2022 campaign. 

Offensive tackles Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann were the Colts' two highest-graded offensive players by PFF last season. The Colts hope they can continue to improve as bookends in the trenches while seeing bounceback seasons from the likes of Nelson, Taylor, and Pittman.

The Colts still have questions at quarterback while rookie Anthony Richardson learns the ropes, but there is talent there for a quick turnaround for new head coach Shane Steichen.