Colts: 3 players facing an uphill battle at training camp

2. Jordan Wilkins

The Colts figure to have one of the most potent rushing attacks in the NFL in 2021, and it’s difficult to envision Jordan Wilkins playing a role in that.

How little faith does Indy have in Wilkins? Well, they chose to re-sign Marlon Mack after he suffered an Achilles tear in Week 1 last year. Assuming Mack takes on a change-of-pace role behind Jonathan Taylor, Wilkins’ roster spot would almost be redundant.

Jordan Wilkins’ performance at training camp could decide his roster fate.

After all, what would be the point of carrying four NFL-caliber running backs on the 53-man roster? Though Taylor and Mack are projected to dominate carries, you can’t rule out Nyheim Hines being sprinkled in as a runner following his breakout year in 2020.

If you recall, Hines posted career-highs in carries (89), rushing yards (380), touchdowns (three), yards per carry ( 4.3), and first down runs (24). To put it simply, the former fourth-round pick deserves to have a prominent role in the offense, both as a runner and receiver.

Bottom line? Wilkins was ineffective with Mack out of the picture last year — he managed 308 rushing yards on 3.7 YPC in 15 games — and even failed to make a consistent impact while Taylor was struggling to find his footing in the NFL in the first half of the season.

In other words, Wilkins better pack a pair of hiking boots for training camp, because not many players will have a more steep climb to make the Colts’ final roster.