Pro Football Focus projected the starting lineup for each NFL team for the upcoming 2024 season. Here is who they believe will be starting on the offensive side of the ball come Week 1 for the Indianapolis Colts.
QB: Anthony Richardson
RB: Jonathan Taylor
For the most part, this lineup is what you’d expect for a Colts team that saw very little roster turnover during the offseason. However, there are two position groups that do stand out.
The first is at running back, with Tyler Goodson listed as the backup behind Jonathan Taylor. The training camp battle for that role will be one of the more intriguing competitions to take place.
Goodson saw limited opportunities in 2023, but when he did, he showcased that juice he brings, averaging over 6.0 yards per rush. Although Goodson had a crucial drop in the Colts’ Week 18 matchup with Houston, he does bring added playmaking ability to the running back room.
Competing with Goodson will be Trey Sermon and Evan Hull. Sermon is the most experienced of the bunch with 78 career carries, 35 of which came last season, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Hull’s rookie season was cut short due to an injury in Week 1, but he brings ample pass-catching experience to the Colts backfield from his time at Northwestern.
“We got some young guys that came in, and Trey (Sermon) did a really good job when he came in and played for us last year,” said GM Chris Ballard after the draft. “So we got some guys on the roster that we like. We get (Evan) Hull back. Hull’s healthy, we get him back, so we get to see what he can do and he showed us some good signs last year.”
The other position that caught my attention was tight end, with Mo-Alie Cox listed as the starter. At this position in particular, where the Colts have built a tight end room with a wide variety of skill sets, the term ‘starter’ is a bit hollow, with multiple players contributing each week and playing time potentially dependent upon the opponent and game plan.
However, I can understand why Alie-Cox was listed as PFF’s starter, with his experience potentially carrying weight in this decision. Now, with that said, a fully healthy Jelani Woods could very much push for that role. With his size and speed he provides a dynamic presence at tight end to the Colts’ passing game.
“Finally getting to see him,” Shane Steichen said of Woods after last week’s practice via the Indy Star. “I mean, I saw him a little bit in training camp, he got the injury, but to see how long he is and how he can run, vertical threat, different things you can do with him. It’s good to have him out there.”
