Colts' Post-Free Agency Projected Starting Lineup for 2026

The Indianapolis Colts have been busy in free agency, primarily with signing new rotational players along the defensive front seven. The Colts have made it a priority to bring back select in-house free agents, but they haven't sought out a massive impact player just yet.

The Colts had over 30 players on the open market, and they've brought back at least nine. In terms of outside signings, the Colts have brought in (either through trade or through free agency) eight new faces.

After a couple of weeks of free agency, here's what the Colts' projected starting lineup looks like.

Quarterback: Daniel Jones

Under center, the Colts made an $88 million investment in Daniel Jones. The veteran played his best football in the first half of the 2025 season, but injuries slowly derailed any momentum he may have had.

In 2025, Jones passed for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for five more scores.

The key to Jones' success will be how well he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon. The Colts have made this massive investment, but if Jones has any setbacks in his rehab process, he'll be at risk of missing the first few weeks of the season.

Running Back: Jonathan Taylor

Behind Jones is one of the best backs in the league. Jonathan Taylor was drawing MVP interest in the first half of last season, and for good reason.

Taylor had five games with three touchdowns in 2025. He finished the season with 1,585 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, along with 378 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

If Taylor can stay healthy again in 2026, the Colts' offense will be scary.

Wide Receivers: Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

The Colts traded away Michael Pittman Jr. on the first day of free agency, which created a massive opening at wide receiver. The Colts somewhat filled that need with the bargain signing of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who scored nine touchdowns with the Tennessee Titans in 2024.

The Colts spent $114 million on Alec Pierce, who was sought after by receiver-needy teams across the league. Pierce recorded his first 1,000-yard season last year, but he needs to take that next step for him to be worth that nine-figure price tag.

Josh Downs is entering the final year of his contract. Downs had a career-low 566 yards last year, partially due to the addition of Tyler Warren.

Tight End: Tyler Warren

After a phenomenal rookie season, Tyler Warren is expected to cement himself as a top-five tight end this season. He set the Colts' single-season reception record for rookies by hauling in 76 catches. For most of the year, Warren led all tight ends in yards.

Warren will need to take that next step as a game-changer in 2026. He's already a decent blocker, but if he can become even better, he'll be one of the best tools in the league.

Offensive Line: Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves, Jalen Travis

Every single member of the Colts' projected starting five was drafted by Chris Ballard. Only one of these guys was above a third-round pick: Quenton Nelson.

The Colts have developed their offensive line around Jonathan Taylor. The Colts' run blocking last season was excellent, but they'll need to carry over that energy and tenacity into 2026.

The biggest question mark is at right tackle. Longtime starter Braden Smith left for the Houston Texans in free agency, so fourth-round pick Jalen Travis is expected to take over. Travis started four games in 2025 after Smith landed on injured reserve toward the end of the season.

Interior Defensive Line: DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart

DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart have held down the fort for the past six years in Indianapolis. Buckner just turned 32 this past week, and Stewart will turn 33 this October.

Buckner is facing serious injury concerns for the first time in his career after landing on injured reserve for the second year in a row. If Buckner goes down, the Colts have signed plenty of new faces on the interior, such as Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery.

Edge Rushers: Laiatu Latu, Arden Key

You could argue that JT Tuimoloau is the Colts' other starting rusher, but he showed nothing in 2025 to prove that he deserves that role. He could earn it as the season goes on, but realistically, I think the Colts will give the other starting job to Arden Key.

Over the past three seasons, Key has recorded 16.5 sacks over the course of 45 appearances (33 starts). The Colts gave him a two-year deal worth up to $20 million, so they believe he can produce off the edge.

Laiatu Latu, on the other hand, is aiming to become the first Colts player with double-digit sacks since Justin Houston. The former first-round pick tallied 8.5 sacks last season.

Linebacker: Akeem Davis-Gaither, Austin Ajiake

The Colts have a serious gap at linebacker, but they somewhat addressed it with the signing of Akeem Davis-Gaither. The former Bengals fourth-round pick has experience under Lou Anarumo, and he had his best year to date with the Arizona Cardinals in 2025.

Austin Ajiake appeared in 16 games for the Colts this past season, recording 32 total tackles and half of a sack. The Colts will likely find a new starter in next month's NFL draft.

Cornerback: Sauce Gardner, Mooney Ward, Kenny Moore II

The Colts' greatest strength is at cornerback, which is a sentence I never thought I would type. Sauce Gardner is preparing for a comeback after missing the end of the year due to a calf injury, and all indications point toward Mooney Ward returning after suffering three concussions in three months.

The Colts will have one of the best (and most expensive) outside cornerback rooms in the league. Indy needs its stars on the field for this defense to work.

Veteran slot corner Kenny Moore II is expected to come back for year 10. Moore nursed an Achilles injury throughout the 2025 season, but he still made 14 appearances.

Safety: Cam Bynum, Juanyeh Thomas

At free safety, the Colts have Bynum locked up for another three seasons. Bynum led the Colts with four interceptions last year, snagging two in his first two games.

At strong safety, the Colts could have a competition for the starting job in training camp. Indy signed Juanyeh Thomas, who started three games for the Dallas Cowboys last season, and they also have Hunter Wohler, who was practicing with the first-team defense during training camp.

For now, we'll say Thomas has the upper hand since he has more experience.

Overall Thoughts

The Colts have a decent squad, but they're still missing an impact player. The draft will be important, but signing a proven pass rusher might be even more necessary.

Indy is also banking on the idea that they can replicate their early-season success from 2025. There's no guarantee Daniel Jones will be the same player he was, but that's a risk that Ballard must take.

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