As a lead-up to the 2024 NFL draft, we’ve broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Indianapolis Colts.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2024 NFL Draft Hub.
Indianapolis Colts Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2024
- Cornerback
- Safety
- Wide Receiver
What Picks Do the Indianapolis Colts Have in 2024?
The Indianapolis Colts have 7 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (15)
- Round 2 (46)
- Round 3 (82)
- Round 4 (117)
- Round 5 (151)
- Round 6 (191)
- Round 7 (234)
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The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to prepare you for the 2024 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.
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Indianapolis Colts Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Colts Sharp Draft Value Rank: 19 of 32 teams
- Colts AV Model Draft Value Rank: 18 of 32 teams
- Colts OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 23 of 32 teams
Indianapolis Colts Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Colts’ draft value is 7% lower than the league average of all 32 teams. 18 other teams have more draft value entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis Colts Draft Prediction:
Brendan Donahue has the Colts selecting Quinyon Mitchell(CB, Toledo) with the 15th overall pick in his most recent 2024 NFL Mock Draft.
Mock draft expert Ryan McCrystal believes the Colts could target Terrion Arnold(CB, Alabama) with their top pick at No. 15 overall in the first round.
Indianapolis Colts Strength of Schedule, 2024
The Indianapolis Colts have the seventh-easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2024 NFL season.
Indianapolis Colts Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Indianapolis Colts, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Colts:
- Anthony Richardson
- Joe Flacco
- Sam Ehlinger
We only got to see Anthony Richardson play in four games for the Colts last season, two of which he was forced to leave early.
Richardson suffered a concussion in Week 2 that forced him to miss Week 3 and then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5.
Losing nearly a complete season and suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder was a big blow for a passer who needed development.
On his small sample on the field, Richardson provided plenty of upside but also showcased why losing a season’s worth of passing reps was a big deal.
Richardson completed 7.7% fewer of his passes than expected, which was the lowest in the league at the time of his injury.
His 59.5% completion rate before injury was 32nd out of 33 quarterbacks at the time.
He was 21st in the league over that small sample in yards per pass attempt (6.9 Y/A).
That said, we also did get to see the electricity that Richardson provides as an athlete.
Despite being on the tail end of the league in accuracy while on the field, Richardson still ranked 11th in EPA per dropback (0.06).
The Colts averaged 5.4 yards per play on offense with Richardson on the field compared to 5.2 yards per play without him.
As a runner, Richardson rushed for 136 yards and four touchdowns.
When he did complete passes, they were chunk gains.
Richardson was averaging 11.5 yards per completed pass, which was eighth in the league before his injury.
After losing Gardner Minshew in free agency this spring, the Colts added veteran Joe Flacco as insurance and leadership behind Richardson’s continued development.
Flacco went 4-1 as a starter for the Browns, throwing 13 touchdown passes.
Minshew threw 15 touchdown passes over 13 starts with the Colts.
Running Back Depth Chart, Colts:
- Jonathan Taylor
- Trey Sermon
- Tyler Goodson
- Evan Hull
After destroying box scores in the 2021 season, the past two years for Jonathan Taylor have been marred by injuries and a contractual dispute.
In that 2021 season, Taylor turned 372 touches into 2,171 total yards and 20 touchdowns.
Over the past two seasons, he has 408 touches for 1,898 total yards and 12 touchdowns.
After missing six games in 2022 dealing with ongoing ankle issues, Taylor did not play in the first four games of 2023 due to a holdout looking for a trade or a new contract.
It took another three weeks for Taylor to play more than 50% of the team snaps.
He then suffered a torn ligament in his thumb in Week 12 which forced him to miss the following three weeks.
On the bright side, Taylor showed a bounce back in multiple areas compared to his 2022 season which was limited by that ankle issue.
Out of 49 running backs with 100 or more runs last season, Taylor ranked:
- 10th in the rate of runs to gain 10 or more yards (13.6%)
- 11th in success rate (40.8%)
- 11th in the rate of runs to result in a first down or touchdown (24.9%)
- 13th in yards after contact per carry (3.12)
He also capped the season with 188 yards rushing on 30 carries in the season finale with a playoff spot on the line.
Taylor will look to start the 2024 season off with a clean slate, inked through 2026.
Losing Zack Moss during free agency, the Colts do not have much-proven production behind Taylor.
This is a spot where a veteran back could land given the time Taylor has missed the past two seasons.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Colts:
- Michael Pittman
- Alec Pierce
- Josh Downs
- Ashton Dulin
- Juwann Winfree
- Tyrie Cleveland
- DJ Montgomery
- Ethan Fernea
- Terrell Bynum
- Zavier Scott
Michael Pittman received a three-year extension worth up to $70 million this offseason.
Pittman has caught more passes than the season prior in all four of his seasons to kick off his career.
He ended last season securing 109 receptions for 1,152 yards and four touchdowns.
Pittman accounted for 28.6% of the Indianapolis targets, which ranked ninth among wide receivers last season.
He averaged a career-high 2.04 yards per route run.
The only nits to pick with Pittman is that he has been used almost exclusively near the line of scrimmage, but he has been used in a fashion similar to Amon-Ra St. Brown. He justplays in a worse offense.
Michael Pittman vs. Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2023:
| Player | TGT/RT% | aDOT | YAC% | Short Tgt% | Inter% | Deep% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittman | 27.7% | 7.9 | 44.5% | 57.1% | 17.9% | 9.0% |
| St. Brown | 28.5% | 7.8 | 44.1% | 57.3% | 17.1% | 9.1% |
Behind Pittman, only Alec Pierce and Josh Downs are under contract beyond the 2024 season.
Both Downs and Pierce complement each other, but neither profile as an option that should prevent the Colts from continuing to look at upgrades in the position.
Pierce took a step back in his second season, catching only 32-of-65 targets for 514 yards and two touchdowns.
Pierce was targeted on just 10.8% of his routes. No player in the NFL ran as many routes as Pierce did last season and had a lower target rate.
Through two seasons in the NFL, Pierce has not had the opportunity to be more than an all-or-nothing downfield target.
Downs stepped in and was immediately second on the team in targets (98), receptions (68), and receiving yards (771), adding two touchdowns.
Out of 27 rookie wideouts to run 100 or more routes in 2023, Downs was eighth with 1.60 yards per route run and ninth in target rate per route run (20.3%).
One thing that did aid Downs was that Gardner Minshew targeted him on 21.0% of his routes run while Anthony Richardson only targeted him on 16.7%.
It was a much smaller sample, but it is something to keep an eye on if Richardson cannot support multiple pass catchers.
Tight End Depth Chart, Colts:
- Kylen Granson
- Mo Alie-Cox
- Jelani Woods
- Will Mallory
- Andrew Ogletree
- Eric Tomlinson
- Jordan Murray
This unit was a sum of parts in 2023.
The Colts have seven tight ends currently on the roster.
They had four tight ends run over 100 pass routes last season with none reaching 300 routes run.
Kylen Granson led the group in routes (290), targets (50), receptions (30), and receiving yards (368).
Mo Alie-Cox was the only tight end here to play in all 17 games, leading the unit in touchdowns with three.
The Colts had larger plans for developing Jelani Woods last season, but he missed the entire season due to separate hamstring issues on each leg.
Woods only played more than 60% of the snaps in two games as a rookie in 2022 and more than 38% of the snaps just four times.
But he flashed for 8-98-0 on nine targets in the game he played the most snaps of the season in Week 12 against the Steelers.
Woods, Will Mallory, and Andrew Ogletree are all signed for multiple seasons.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Colts:
LT: Bernhard Raimann, Jake Witt, Lewis Kidd
LG: Quenton Nelson, Josh Sills, Arlington Hambright
C: Ryan Kelly, Wesley French
RG: Will Fries, Danny Pinter, Jack Anderson
RT: Braden Smith, Blake Freeland
The Colts still have the trio of Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, and Braden Smith anchoring the heart of this offensive line.
Nelson was the only Indianapolis lineman to play in all 17 games.
Through six NFL seasons, Nelson has played five seasons in full, missing only three games.
He remained as solid as ever up front, allowing only a 3.3% pressure rate in pass protection, eighth among guards last season.
Nelson is signed through 2026.
Smith is signed for the next two seasons, but he has not had as good of a run staying on the field as Nelson.
Smith missed seven games in 2023, making that four seasons in a row in which he has missed time.
He allowed only a 4.6% pressure rate when on the field, which was 15th out of 101 tackles to play over 100 snaps in protection last season.
Kelly is the only member of this core group over the age of 30 this season (he turns 31 this May) and is in the final season of his contract.
Kelly also missed three games in 2023, giving him missed time in three of the past four seasons.
He was still strong when on the field, ranking 11th in overall grade among centers per Pro Football Focus while allowing a position-low 1.4% pressure rate as a pass protector.
The Colts received a solid jump from tackle Bernhard Raimann last season.
After starting 11 games in 2022, Raimann started 15 last season, playing all of his snaps at left tackle.
Raimann ended the season ninth per PFF in overall grade among tackles after ranking 29th as a rookie.
Outside of contractual depth at center and depth to account for the number of injuries this unit has had in recent seasons, the only soft area is at right guard.
Will Fries is in the final season of his contract.
He ranked 41st among guards per PFF last season, ranking 32nd in pressure rate allowed at the position.
Indianapolis Colts Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Indianapolis Colts, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Defensive Line Depth Chart, Colts:
- DeForest Buckner
- Grover Stewart
- Raekwon Davis
- Taven Bryan
- Eric Johnson II
- Adetomiwa Adebawore
The Colts allowed 4.0 yards per running back carry (15th) and finished 19th in yards before contact allowed per RB rush in 2023.
DeForest Buckner continues to be one of the best defensive linemen in the league.
Buckner logged 8 sacks last season and finished fifth among defensive tackles in ESPN’s pass rush win rate.
He led the team with 18 run stuffs, the second most among defensive linemen a year ago.
He is 30 and heading into a contract year, raising some questions about his long-term place on the squad.
Grover Stewart re-signed on a three-year, $39 million deal this offseason.
Stewart does not offer as much pass rushing as Buckner, finishing with 0.5 sacks on about half of the pass rush snaps, but his 7.1% pressure rate a season ago was not awful.
He is a force against the run, finishing 17th among defensive linemen in PFF’s run stop percentage metric last season.
Taven Bryan was the primary depth a season ago, but he did not set the world on fire during his snaps.
Indy brought in Raekwon Davis from the Dolphins in free agency.
A former second-round pick, Davis is a mountain of a man, but his performance against the run was not impressive throughout his rookie contract.
He did flash some pass rush ability last season, only recording 1 sack but logging an 8.9% pressure rate, which is decent for an interior lineman.
The Colts are in good shape here, but Buckner’s contract situation is worth watching.
EDGE Depth Chart, Colts:
- Samson Ebukam
- Kwity Paye
- Dayo Odeyingbo
- Tyquan Lewis
- Genard Avery
- Titus Leo
- Isaiah Land
The Colts finished 26th in pressure rate but logged 51 sacks (5th) last season.
ESPN ranked Indy fifth in pass rush win rate, suggesting that sack number is more valid than it looks next to the pressure rate.
Samson Ebukam led the team with 9.5 sacks, easily the most of his career.
As with the team in general, his 11.1% pressure rate was far less impressive, ranking 76th among eligible pass rushers.
But, again, ESPN had him ranked 16th among edge players in pass rush win rate.
It was the same story for Kwity Paye.
He ended 2023 with 8.5 sacks, but his 7.1% pressure rate was 150th among eligible pass rushers.
Dayo Odeyingbo also ended with 8 sacks and a relatively low 8.3% pressure rate.
Tyquan Lewis got pressure on 17.5% of his snaps, which ranked ninth among eligible pass rushers, but he only had 4 sacks, albeit on fewer opportunities than the other three.
Despite those 4 sacks, Lewis ranked 15th in PFF’s pass rush productivity metric, well above his teammates.
Pressure rate tends to be more predictive than sack numbers, which is why you will read about them often in this series, and that raises some concerns about a falloff from this group in 2024.
Linebacker Depth Chart, Colts:
- Zaire Franklin
- E.J. Speed
- Ronnie Harrison Jr.
- Segun Olubi
- Grant Stuard
- Cameron McGrone
- Austin Ajiake
- Liam Anderson
Shaq Leonard was waived in November last season, leaving Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed to dominate the work at linebacker.
Both players were productive against the run.
Franklin recorded a tackle on 22.4% of his run defense snaps with 16 run stuffs.
Speed matched Franklin with 16 stuffs and logged a tackle on 18.2% of his run defense snaps.
Franklin struggled against the pass, but Speed finished fourth among linebackers in yards per target allowed (4.8).
A former safety, Ronnie Harrison Jr. was a solid third option during his first season with the team and also plays on special teams.
Franklin just signed a three-year contract extension, but Speed is heading into the final year of his deal.
Overall, the Colts are in a good spot here.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Colts:
- Kenny Moore II
- JuJu Brents
- Jaylon Jones
- Dallis Flowers
- Chris Lammons
- Darrell Baker Jr.
- Ameer Speed
The Colts allowed 7.3 yards per attempt (23rd) and finished 17th in EPA per dropback in 2023.
Easily their best option a year ago, the Colts brought back Kenny Moore on a three-year deal this offseason.
Primarily playing in the slot, Moore gave up a solid 6.7 yards per target last year.
A second-round pick last year, JuJu Brents struggled with injuries both in the offseason program and throughout the season, and he was not outstanding when on the field.
The Colts need him to take a step forward as a sophom*ore.
The spot opposite Brents is wide open.
Jaylon Jones played the most snaps among this group last season, but he was not a quality option, allowing nearly a 100 passer rating in his coverage.
Dallis Flowers missed most of last season because of a torn Achilles.
Indy almost certainly needs to add someone here, and it would not be surprising to see them target corner with their first-round pick.
Safety Depth Chart, Colts:
- Julian Blackmon
- Rodney Thomas II
- Nick Cross
- Daniel Scott
- Michael Tutsie
- Trevor Denbow
- Marcel Dabo
- Kendell Brooks
It took a little bit, but the Colts eventually re-signed Julian Blackmon to a one-year deal.
Blackmon played far more in the box last season than he did earlier in his career, and his production against the run game improved as a result.
His missed tackle rate also plummeted, and he allowed a career-best 7.2 yards per target, albeit facing a lower average depth of target than his career average.
Rodney Thomas was the other primary option last season.
He did not have a strong year, finishing 196th out of 200 qualifying defensive backs in yards allowed per target in coverage.
He was better as a rookie, suggesting this could have just been a down year, but the Colts need to get better play opposite Blackmon.
A third-round pick in 2022, Nick Cross has played behind 2022 seventh-rounder Thomas over the last two seasons, but he could get a chance moving forward given how Thomas played last season.
The Colts could also add to this position, especially with Blackmon on a one-year deal.
Pre Order the Best Analytical 2024 Football Preview
Don’t miss out on Warren Sharp’s 500+ page preview of the 2024 NFL season.
The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to prepare you for the 2024 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.
Pre order the 2024 Football Preview now!
