The Indianapolis Colts got through their preseason opener with a 23-19 loss against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
While the results don’t matter all that much, we did receive plenty of information to help us form our opinions on the state of the depth chart and roster.
Before the team prepares to host the Chicago Bears for joint training camp practices this week ahead of Saturday night’s preseason game, we’re going to take a look back at what we learned from the opener.
Here’s one takeaway from each position group following the preseason opener against the Bills:
Quarterback: Anthony Richardson should be the starter
Was Richardson fantastic in his preseason debut? No. In fact, he was far from it. But he showed enough of promise, poise and the ability to command the huddle during his quarter of play to warrant getting the start in Week 1. That doesn’t mean there won’t be growing pains along the way—there absolutely will be—but Richardson showed he’s far enough along to work through those issues while gaining experience.
Running Back: Questions upon questions
Will Jonathan Taylor suit up in Week 1? If his ankle truly is still injured, is that an even bigger red flag than his contract dispute? Will Zack Moss be ready for Week 1? These are just some of the questions plaguing the backfield. It doesn’t look like we’re getting many answers anytime soon.
Wide Receiver: Josh Downs is ready
It’s not going to be long before Downs is the unquestioned starting slot receiver. He put his crafty route running, sticky hands and YAC ability on display during the opener. Let him start Week 1 and grow with his fellow rookie quarterback.
Tight End: Injuries abound
Kylen Granson appears to be the only truly healthy tight end in the room. Jelani Woods and Will Mallory have missed most of training camp due to a hamstring injury while Mo Alie-Cox missed the preseason opener due to an ankle injury. Drew Ogletree has been working in with the first-team offense, but there are so many injuries it’s difficult to project what the Week 1 room will look like.
Offensive Line: Arlington Hambright shows promise
We’ll go with a positive note here because the depth along the offensive line looked rough during the preseason opener. But Hambright was a pleasant surprise working as the second-team left tackle, something he’s done since rookie Jake Witt was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list. He’s someone to keep an eye on over these next two weeks.
Defensive Line: A lot of competitors, not a lot of spots
It will be interesting to see how many defensive linemen the Colts keep because there is some strong competition taking place. Despite showing promise, players like Titus Leo, Genard Avery, Khalid Kareem and Al-Quadin Muhammad may be on the outside looking in.
Linebacker: Grant Stuard locked up a spot
It wasn’t really a question, but Stuard likely locked up his roster spot with a fantastic preseason debut. He led the team with 10 tackles (five solo), a forced fumble and two special teams tackles. It’s safe to say he’s the fifth linebacker in the room.
Cornerback: Darrell Baker an unquestioned starter
Baker has been a pleasant surprise for the Colts throughout the spring workouts and training camp. He forced a PBU on third down during the opener and played all six snaps with the starters before coming off the field. That tells us the Colts view Baker as a starting cornerback right now and if he keeps playing to this level, that won’t change.
Safety: Julian Blackmon's injury causing concern?
The Colts’ starting strong safety hasn’t been on the field at all since the start of camp due to a hamstring injury. Now, they signed former third-round pick Ronnie Harrison Jr. in free agency. Is that a signal that Blackmon could be out longer than expected?
