Do Colts have Enough Help Around Anthony Richardson?

ESPN ranked the supporting casts of every team in the NFL. Do the Indianapolis Colts have enough help around Anthony Richardson?

The Indianapolis Colts have placed their future in the hands of No. 4 overall draft pick Anthony Richardson, but how does their present look?

The players surrounding Richardson will play a key role in how quickly he develops this season, and how quickly he develops this season will play a key role in the Colts' playoff hopes.

In a detailed article on ESPN+, Bill Barnwell ranked the surrounding cast of every team in the NFL. By surrounding cast he means the offensive skill players. His exercise was to assume every team has an average offensive line and an average quarterback. 

Who would be the best team?

Barnwell has the Colts coming in 25th. A ranking that feels both strikingly low, but fair at the same time considering the 2022 season.

Just about everybody involved with the Colts would like to write off 2022 as a bad dream, and it's easy to understand why. Beyond the disasters they endured at quarterback and with their coaching staff, the players they relied upon as building blocks either took a step backward or weren't around. Offensive linemen Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly had their worst NFL seasons. Linebacker Shaq Leonard was limited to 74 defensive snaps because of back surgery and a concussion. -- Bill Barnwell, ESPN+

Barnwell adds Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor to the list of disappointing players from 2022, but he points out a rebound from the Colts' top-two playmakers make this an interesting, but unpredictable team.

If those guys return to their 2021 form, things will be fine in Indianapolis. Hoping that happens is fine, but counting on it is dangerous, and the Colts are going to struggle mightily if that plan doesn't work out. Rookie wideout Alec Pierce caught just over 53% of the passes in his direction and averaged 1.3 yards per route run, while receiver Ashton Dulin failed to live up to preseason hype. Tight end Jelani Woods flashed during his rookie season, but the third-rounder also had one game with more than 45 receiving yards. The only significant addition to the depth chart is another fellow third-round pick in wideout Josh Downs, who will take over Parris Campbell's role in the slot. -- Bill Barnwell, ESPN+

A trio of Pittman, Taylor and Pierce with an über-talented quarterback is an exciting prospect for the Indianapolis Colts. They like what they've seen from Downs so far, and the offensive line should also play more cohesively in 2023.

Expecting the Colts to return to form this season might be dangerous, but there's good reason for a lot of hope in Indianapolis.