The Indianapolis Colts offense will be turning over a new leaf in 2023 as first-year head coach Shane Steichen brings over his high-flying scheme to the Circle City.
One of the worst offenses in the NFL last season, the Colts are hoping the addition of Steichen and No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson will infuse some new life into the unit.
The Colts will have their share of favorable matchups on the schedule, but the inexperience of Richardson’s game will lead to plenty of growing pains.
We acknowledge these rankings are essentially educated guesses. There will be some defenses that perform better than expected and vice versa. But there’s a general idea of how these defenses look going into the new year.
After taking a look at the offenses the Colts will be facing, here’s a look at ranking the defenses the Colts will face in 2023:
14
Los Angeles Rams
Even with Aaron Donald, the Rams defense projects to be one of the worst in the NFL. They are extremely thin in the secondary and have little depth behind Donald.
13
Las Vegas Raiders
Maxx Crosby will always be a problem, but the Raiders have major question marks at the second and third levels of their defense.
12
Houston Texans
The addition of head coach DeMeco Ryans and No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. means the future is bright for Houston. But there are still some big issues throughout this unit.
11
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have some intriguing pieces throughout their defensive unit and will be looking to take the next step in 2023.
10
Tennessee Titans
The Titans boast a strong defensive line led by Jeffery Simmons, and a unit commanded by Mike Vrabel should never be counted out.
9
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons made some big additions to their defense this offseason, which should improve their pass rush and secondary in a significant way.
8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Maybe it was just a down year, but the Buccaneers defense wasn’t up to their usual dominant selves in 2022. The unit is still strong so a bounce-back could be in order.
7
Cincinnati Bengals
Boasting a strong defensive line led by Trey Hendrickson and D.J. Reader, the Bengals will need to find some way to overcome the departures of Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell.
6
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers can take a pretty big step forward under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, especially if Jaycee Horn proves to be a true No. 1 cornerback.
5
New Orleans Saints
Any unit with Cameron Jordan leading the way deserves respect. This group is old but still plenty productive throughout all three levels.
4
Cleveland Browns
We’re still not sure if Myles Garrett is human, and the addition of Dalvin Tomlinson should help shore up some of the run-defense issues they had in 2022.
3
Baltimore Ravens
The linebacker duo of Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen could lead this fast-moving defense into one of the top tiers in 2023.
2
Pittsburgh Steelers
T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith provide an elite pass-rushing trio while the additions of Patrick Peterson and Joey Porter Jr. could pay dividends early.
1
New England Patriots
The Patriots will always have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and now they’ve added Christian Gonzalez as the future of their secondary.
