Top Colts of 2026: Expected Offensive Workload Puts Special Teams Demon Ashton Dulin at No. 21 Spot

The Indianapolis Colts have leaned on wide receiver and special teams ace Ashton Dulin in more ways than one for each of his seven seasons in the NFL thus far.

From his in-game production in multiple phases to his off-the-field contributions, Dulin's value is almost impossible to quantify.

He epitomizes what it means to be a glue guy and has remained an unsung hero across his entire seven-year career with the Colts.

Dulin is now expected to take on his biggest role yet in head coach Shane Steichen's Colts offense for the 2026-27 season, but he'll remain a core special teams player in the meantime.

Today, we break down why Ashton Dulin has earned a spot in our summer article series as one of the Indianapolis Colts' top 25 players for the upcoming season based on projected impact.

Background

Ashton Dulin was one of five Division II players invited to the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine after his otherworldly senior campaign at Malone University, where he led the team in receptions (61), receiving yards (984), yards per catch (16.1), and receiving touchdowns (11).

He also returned 28 kickoffs for 836 yards (29.9 avg), led NCAA Division II with three kickoff return touchdowns, and downed two punts inside the 1-yard line as a senior.

This apparent upside, particularly on special teams, coupled with his impressive combine showing, earned him a deal with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent, and he's only proved himself as an NFL-caliber player with each season since.

Dulin has become a special teams demon throughout his seven seasons with the Colts, culiminating in a second-team All-Pro nod in 2021 and earning him multiple contract extensions along the way, but he's also showcased reliability as a passcatcher with each opportunity that's come his way.

In seven seasons on special teams, Dulin has totaled 57 tackles (42 solo), one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries.

One might assume he's nothing more than a decent wideout with a modest 40 receptions on 70 targets for 623 receiving yards and 4 receiving touchdowns to show for throughout his Colts tenure, but his 15.6 yards-per-reception average and 140 rushing yards on 15 carries paint a better picture of just how valuable an offensive weapon Dulin can be when given the chance.

"What a fun guy to coach. He’s been so good for so many years, doing so many different things. A lot of those have been special teams related and I think he's one of the best in the league. Doing that stuff has been really valuable for our team. But offensively, shoot, we've been able to move him around, put him in different spots over several years," Colts' offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said during spring minicamp about Dulin's value offensively.

"When you're in his role, you have to sort of be ready to go in at any spot at any moment, right? Could be an injury, guy could lose a shoe, something equipment based, something like that, and then you have your weekly game plan in place. So, he's shown the capability to line up just about anywhere on the field and really go play good football in a bunch of different ways, whether that's running routes, whether that's kind of getting a little down and dirty in the blocking game, whether that's sometimes giving him the ball or tossing him the ball, or any of those things. He's a valuable player for us. He's a valuable person for us."

Dulin tore his ACL in training camp ahead of Shane Steichen's first season as the Colts' head coach, but he's since returned to form and has been utilized offensively whenever needed.

Entering the 2026 season, Dulin is poised to take advantage of his biggest opportunity yet.

"As his role has increased in certain games or certain game plans over the years, he’s sort of made the most of those opportunities. He's a guy that I think has the capability to really help our offense," Cooter continued.

"We’ve got a good receiver room – a bunch of guys with a bunch of different good strengths. And shoot, opportunities show up and rep totals and all that stuff can change every game and every year, but Ashton Dulin is a guy that I've known to take advantage of his opportunities. And like I said, he's been a real joy to coach. We're having fun moving him around out there at practice and trying him out with some different stuff, and I think he can be really good for us this year on offense.”

The Colts' longtime top receiving option, Michael Pittman Jr., was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this offseason, and Dulin is expected to fill the void as the team's WR3 option while still maintaining his various duties on special teams.

This anticipated increased workload is not solely born out of necessity, as Dulin has earned the trust required for such an opportunity through years of consistent performance.

Outlook

To say that Ashton Dulin is a vital part of the Colts' overall operation would be understating it.

From his contributions on special teams as a gunner and blocker to his offensive production whenever called upon and everything in between, Dulin is a player whose efforts often go unnoticed, or at least underappreciated.

When it comes to his anticipated increased workload on offense, Dulin's proven reliability has put him on the inside track to becoming the Colts' third starting wide receiver.

“I think the biggest thing is consistency. Who's going to be the most consistent there, day in and day out, play in and play out, to go help us win games," head coach Shane Steichen said during spring minicamp about the aforementioned opening at wideout.

If you've watched even a single game of Ashton Dulin's career thus far, it's evident that he epitomizes consistency, and that's precisely why he's expected to earn his spot as a starter in the Colts' offense in 2026.

He'll no doubt have to earn his expected role throughout training camp as he battles veteran wideout Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who has 42 starts in 93 games played, but Dulin has earned his projection after years of grinding behind the scenes.

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