The Colts had high hopes entering the 2021 season and thought that Carson Wentz was the quarterback they needed to take this team to postseason success. Whilst they showed plenty of promise, the season ultimately ended in embarrassment. They lost their last two games to miss out on the playoffs, including a humiliating loss to the Jaguars in Week 18. This spurred them into action and they smartly retooled at quarterback ahead of the 2022 season.
Offseason additions and losses
It took just one season for the Colts to pull the plug on the Carson Wentz experiment, shipping him off to Washington and bringing in Matt Ryan as his replacement in exchange for a third round pick. The Colts are now set to start the season with a new quarterback for the fifth year in a row. Swapping Rock Ya-Sin for Yannick Ngakoue was another inspired piece of business from Chris Ballard, giving the Colts a seasoned pass rushing threat. They also picked up Stephon Gilmore on a two-year $20 million deal that could prove to be a crucial signing.
Whilst the additions have significantly boosted the quality of this roster, you can’t ignore some of the departures. The Colts lost both Eric Fisher and Mark Glowinski to free agency, two players that were an essential part of the team’s dominant rushing attack in 2021. Whilst T.Y. Hilton’s impact has diminished in recent years, his departure after ten years with the team will also hurt. The other departure worth mentioning is that of edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad. He was a key presence on the defensive line, with only DeForrest Buckner playing more than Muhammad’s 800 snaps in 2021.
2022 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 2.53 | Alec Pierce – WR, Cincinnati |
| 3.73 | Jelani Woods – TE, Virginia |
| 3.77 | Bernhard Raimann – OT, Central Michigan |
| 3.96 | Nick Cross – S, Maryland |
| 5.159 | Eric Johnson – IDL, Missouri State |
| 6.192 | Andrew Ogletree – TE, Youngstown State |
| 6.216 | Curtis Brooks – IDL, Cincinnati |
| 7.239 | Rodney Thomas – S, Yale |
The Colts traded out of their first pick, meaning they didn’t make a selection until late in the second round. It is a testament to Chris Ballard’s talent as general manager that they came away from the draft with a host of quality players. Their first four selections all have a legitimate shot at being starters in their rookie season. Pierce is a legitimate three-level threat at wide receiver and gives the Colts some much-needed depth behind Michael Pittman. Woods is a raw prospect, but is a freaky athlete with a tonne of pass catching upside. There is also a real chance that Raimann ends up as the team’s left tackle at some point in 2022.
Offense
The big name on the Colts offense is obviously Jonathan Taylor. It is difficult to overstate both his talent and his importance to the team. His 3,639 scrimmage yards since entering the league in 2020 are over 300 more than the next nearest player. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry in 2021 and led the league with 37.3% of his carries going for either a first down or a touchdown. With some notable changes along the offensive line Taylor might not hit those heights again in 2022, but with Matt Ryan in town the burden on him should be reduced anyway.
The addition of Ryan has the potential to turn a very good Colts team into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. A poor offensive line and limited receiving corps hindered his chances of success in Atlanta last season but Ryan is still a good starter. He also perfectly fits what this team needs. Ryan was excellent off play action last season, completing over 70% of his passes and throwing for nine touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating off play action ranked 10th in the NFL, compared to Carson Wentz who ranked 20th. Pair that ability with a strong offensive line and punishing rushing attack and you have a recipe for success.
The only question with this offense is whether they have enough from a pass catching standpoint to really keep pace with the best teams in the AFC when it really matters. Michael Pittman is a very good young receiver, but there is nothing in the way of proven receiving talent behind him. That is evidenced by the fact that Nyheim Hines and Jonathan Taylor ranked third and fourth in targets respectively in 2021. A combination of Matt Ryan elevating talent and some exciting rookie additions could change that, but at this point that is a big projection.
Defense
With defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus departing for the head coaching job in Chicago, the Colts promptly replaced him with Gus Bradley. This will no doubt see a shift in the Colts’ defensive scheme. Whilst Eberflus was a proponent of a Tampa 2-type scheme, Bradley will run a defense built around Cover 3. During his time with the Raiders in 2021 the team ran Cover 3 at almost double the league average rate.
When Bradley has had success it has been when he has been able to generate consistent pressure with his front four rushers. That shouldn’t be a problem in Indianapolis. DeForrest Buckner is one of the best interior rushers in football, and Bradley has brought over Yannick Ngakoue from Vegas, who he also used to coach in Jacksonville. He will also have second year edge rushers Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo at his disposal. His front seven is completed with a linebacking corps boasting one of the game’s premier talents in Shaquille Leonard.
If there is a concern with this defense it will be the secondary. There is certainly some talent at cornerback. Kenny Moore is one of the best nickel corners in football and Stephon Gilmore is still a plus starter despite approaching his 32nd birthday. The question mark starts when looking at who will start opposite Gilmore. As things stand it is 5’10” and 170 lbs Isaiah Rodgers, who has just two career starts to his name. The retirement of Khari Willis will also cast doubt over the quality at safety. This looks set to be some combination of new signing Rodney McLeod and rookie Nick Cross.
Prediction
The Colts were in the AFC South title hunt last season until Carson Wentz derailed their campaign. They have made sure that won’t happen again with the signing of Matt Ryan. They now boast a quality quarterback to pair with their already excellent offensive line and running back room. If they can just manage to figure things out at cornerback before the season starts this is a team with legitimate Super Bowl potential.
