Colts: 3 depth chart problems fans should worry about

The Indianapolis Colts will likely make up one-half of a two-horse race in the AFC South, as either Frank Reich’s squad or Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans will likely end up as the division champions. The Colts are hoping a new quarterback in Carson Wentz gives them the edge to put them over the top.

However, while the Colts do have plenty of depth at key positions thanks to some shrewd drafting from Chris Ballard, that doesn’t mean that they are completely set when it comes to the final construction of this roster.

The Colts have some serious issues with regard to how this team is built because several positions still lack depth despite Ballard having seemingly placed an emphasis on passing over stars with the intent of building a team full of capable backups.

These three positions on Indy’s depth chart still need some work before the squad can go into the season without having to worry that any potential issues could derail any positive momentum. If they don’t fix these flaws, Tennessee could easily jump over them and take the division once again.

The Colts need to fix these three issues on their depth chart.

3. Tight end

The Colts could’ve spent money on a big name like Jonnu Smith or Hunter Henry, but they mostly chose to bring back the same alignment at the position. Jack Doyle and former basketball player Mo Alie-Cox project to be the top two tight ends, with rookie Kylen Granson potentially in line for an H-back role.

The only thing that can save the Colts from being tagged as deficient in this area is Granson emerging as a receiving star as a rookie. If he spends most of Year 1 on the sidelines, an offense that likes to throw the ball to the tight ends could struggle to get production from this group.

The Colts need better production at tight end.

Doyle has some Pro Bowls on his resume, but he looked nothing like a Pro Bowl performer last year. And while Alie-Cox has a knack for pulling in some tough catches, how high is his ceiling? Is he is really capable of becoming a somewhat prominent option in the passing game rather than an occasional wrinkle? It seems whenever he gains momentum in that department, the rug is pulled out from under him.

The Colts should go all-in on developing Granson. That’s their best chance at revamping the position. With Doyle getting a bit older and Alie-Cox possessing a much lower ceiling, the SMU product is the best hope at salvaging a subpar room of tight ends since we know Ballard isn’t going to make a trade for Zach Ertz.

2. Wide receiver

This still warrants repeating, as the Colts decided that the best way to improve upon a poor wide receiver group from last year was to … bring back the exact same players despite plenty of money to spend on the free agent market and more than enough quality targets available in the draft.

Mike Strachan, a seventh-round pick who isn’t even a lock to make the roster, was one of their bigger additions. A UDFA group led by players like Tarik Black and Tyler Vaughns will push the likes of TY Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr., and the oft-injured Parris Campbell for snaps. Catch the fever!

The Colts are thin at wide receiver.

This could all be alleviated if Campbell plays up to his potential. With his speed, Hilton’s big-play abilities, and Pittman’s knack for racking up yards after the catch, Wentz will have more than enough weapons with which he can attack the defense.

If that doesn’t happen, however, we might see a repeat of what happened in Philadelphia. If you thought that the Eagles didn’t give Wentz a ton of support at wide receiver, wait until you see the QB try to win a division title against a loaded Titans offense with a coupe of UDFAs getting snaps if things don’t work out.

1. Defensive line

There are exactly two sure things on the entirety of this defensive line. The first is DeForest Buckner, who remains one of the best defensive players at any position in the game. The second is Grover Stewart, an elite run-stuffer. Other than that, there are a TON of question marks in this area.

Even first-round pick Kwity Paye has concerns, as he didn’t blow the doors off production-wise at Michigan. If both he and injured second-rounder Dayo Odeyingbo fail to hit the ground running as rookies, the subpar backups could end up seeing more time.

The Colts’ backup linemen might struggle.

Look at the wealth of options! Would you like to star two disappointing second-rounders in Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu? Perhaps you’d care for two tweeners that are too small to play as a 1-tech but too big to line up as anything more than a 5-tech rusher in Isaac Rochell and Tyquan Lewis? The possibilities are endless.

Paye was a gamble on raw athletic talent, but the Colts may not be in a position to allow him a ton of time to get his feet under him in the NFL. If he doesn’t replace Justin Houston from the jump, things could get very hairy.

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