Colts Have to Prove It in Order to Improve Triplets Ranking

Long ago are the days of the Indianapolis Colts' legendary "triplets," quarterback Peyton Manning, running back Edgerrin James, and wide receiver Marvin Harrison.

Three Hall-of-Famers all playing together on the same team at the same time.

Since then, the Colts have had plenty of outstanding offensive skill position players, but nothing near the level of their predecessors, and never a simultaneous triumvirate of a quarterback, running back, and pass-catcher.

If you ask CBS Sports, the Colts' current top trio isn't going to sniff that either, at least they shouldn't be expected to.

They've been ranking each team's top "triplets," and the Colts' group of quarterback Carson Wentz, running back Jonathan Taylor, and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton came in closer to the bottom than they did the top at No. 23.

23.

Indianapolis Colts

(21.6)

QB:

Carson Wentz

RB:

Jonathan Taylor

WR:

T.Y. Hilton

As you can see from the average ranking of the Jaguars (25.0) compared to the Colts (21.6), this looks like the start of a new tier in the rankings. The Colts' trio is going to be put in good position to succeed thanks to their strong offensive line and head coach Frank Reich, but it's been quite a while now since either Wentz or Hilton has flashed elite-level talent or production, and Taylor's success as a runner only matters so much in this exercise. (And he was also working behind Jordan Wilkins for a stretch of his rookie season.)

Between Wentz, Taylor, and Hilton, the only one who has an upward trajectory based on their most recent performance is Taylor, so this low group ranking is fair, but they could also outperform the placement with ease.

QB Carson Wentz

To put it plainly, Wentz performed poorly in 2020 with the Philadelphia Eagles. His passer rating of 72.8 and Pro Football Focus grade of 65.0 were both the worst marks of his career.

His and the team's performance resulted in him getting benched late in the season and ultimately traded to the Colts back in February. Because of that, he's got more than enough doubters nationally.

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However, Wentz will perhaps play with the best offensive line and run game that he's had since joining the NFL in 2016, and he's got a deep, quality group of pass-catchers at wide receiver, tight end, and running back.

There's also the fact that he's reunited with Colts head coach Frank Reich, who was Wentz's offensive coordinator in Philadelphia when the quarterback had an MVP-caliber season back in 2017 and the Eagles won the Super Bowl.

RB Jonathan Taylor

As mentioned, there's a consensus high level of comfort in Taylor after he finished third in the NFL in rushing last year as a rookie with 1,169 yards and 11 touchdowns.

After quelling concerns coming out of college about his ball security (one fumble) and pass-catching ability (one drop), there's not much there to not like.

Taylor proved capable of elite performances after running for 150 yards in one game, a franchise record of 253 in another, and scoring multiple touchdowns in three of his last four regular-season games.

The second-year tailback also has four of five offensive linemen returning as well as the Colts' top two blocking tight ends in Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox, and a pair of high-level blocking receivers in Michael Pittman Jr. and Zach Pascal.

WR T.Y. Hilton

And then there's Hilton. Although he's been durable throughout the majority of his career, the veteran receiver has a recent history of injuries after missing nine games over the last three years. He is also on the wrong side of 30 years old as he'll turn 32 during the season.

However, if Hilton does stay healthy in 2021 and hasn't lost much of a step, his speed and style of play mesh quite well with Wentz. For those that recall former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck slinging the ball downfield or buying time with his legs to find the big play with Hilton, that's a similar approach that Wentz takes.

Recent former Colts quarterbacks Philip Rivers (lack of arm strength) and Jacoby Brissett (lack of aggression) were never going to accentuate Hilton's game as Luck did and Wentz possibly can.

Are CBS Sports' concerns about the Colts' triplets fair? Absolutely. But as they also mention, they'll be put in a good position to succeed.

Do you think the trio of Wentz, Taylor, and Hilton should be ranked higher, lower? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!

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