The Indianapolis Colts enter a new campaign with several additions joining a roster that is hungry to put the late-season collapse behind it.
In ranking the rosters in the NFL, CBS Sports placed the Colts right in the middle at No. 16. While lauding the additions they made during the offseason, they questioned just how much upside this roster has going into the 2022 campaign.
Matt Ryan brings more stability at QB after the rocky finish to the short-lived Carson Wentz era, but does he have the stuff to elevate an offense whose once-vaunted line now features Matt Pryor at left tackle and added just rookie Alec Pierce to a thin receiving group? Jonathan Taylor’s dominant presence in the backfield sure helps, as does a defense with the firepower to make a deep run (Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore are underrated additions to a lineup that already boasted DeForest Buckner, Darius Leonard and Kenny Moore II). You just wonder how far a team with limited vertical options can go.
The question marks around the wide receiver room are fair. Most of the options behind Michael Pittman Jr. are unproven. The second-round pick in Pierce could wind up having a solid role from the start given his fit within the offense and how much Matt Ryan likes targeting that type of receiver.
Parris Campbell is also a massive wild card in the room. If he stays healthy (a big if), he has enough juice to provide the Colts with a strong No. 2 option opposite Pittman Jr. while Pierce also mixes in.
The Colts will be out to prove a lot during the 2022 season. The start of their schedule is pretty tough with seven consecutive AFC matchups, which should give us a good idea of how far they might go in a potential playoff run.
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