Indianapolis Colts football is finally back, as the team hit the field at Grand Park in Westfield for their first practice of training camp on Wednesday.
Since players aren’t cleared to wear pads, it’s difficult to take anything we see during the early stages of camp and project how it could translate into regular season play.
With that being said, however, there are always a couple players who stick out among the rest, whether it be for positive or negative reasons. For instance, Carson Wentz and Jacob Eason, the projected first- and second-string quarterbacks, looked off the pace on Day 1.
But enough about the negatives. Colts football has returned, and it’s here to stay for the next several months. To celebrate training camp’s long-awaited arrival, let’s highlight the players who’ve made the biggest impressions in the early going.
These three Colts have impressed at training camp so far.
3. Marlon Mack
The Colts will finally deliver fans the three-headed backfield that was promised in 2020. Of course, those plans were halted after Marlon Mack’s season-ending Achilles injury.
The list of running backs who’ve attempted comebacks from torn Achilles’ suggests Mack has minimal odds to return to the three-down stud he was before the injury. However, the early returns at training camp indicate the 25-year-old is positioned to shock the world.
Marlon Mack is making his presence felt at training camp.
The fact Mack has no restrictions at camp just nine months removed from the injury is a tremendous accomplishment in and of itself, but he was all the rage at Wednesday’s practice, reminding everybody why the Jonathan Taylor pick surprised some fans.
We obviously don’t mean that as a slight to Taylor, who cemented himself as the Colts’ RB of the future after finishing third in the NFL in rushing as a rookie. However, Mack looking elusive and agile with nary a gimp to be seen suggests he could play a bigger role than expected in 2021.
We certainly don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but Mack returning to a semblance of the powerful and shifty running back he was pre-injury would be massive for the Colts. This is definitely something fans should monitor as we get deeper into training camp.
2. Parris Campbell
It’s not outlandish to say that the ceiling of Indianapolis’ offense will ride on the shoulders of Parris Campbell, who’s been limited to nine games over his first two seasons.
The Colts have been reluctant to give up on Campbell — go watch some of his highlights on YouTube and you’ll understand why that’s the case — but it goes without saying he’s entering a make-or-break season with the organization.
Parris Campbell looks to be back to full strength at training camp.
As Zak Keefer of The Athletic put it on Twitter, “Campbell looks like his old self again: big, strong and smooth with the football.” That’s huge news for the Colts, as the 2019 second-rounder, if healthy, has all the tools to become one of the most dynamic slot receivers in the NFL.
On Wednesday, the first official practice of camp, Campbell caught a slant coming across the middle of the field and proceeded to gain at least an extra 10 yards with his legs. Based on what reporters are saying, the 24-year-old is as elusive as he was coming out of Ohio State.
That’s an encouraging sign when you consider the laundry list of injuries Campbell has on his resume in just a two-year span. We know better than to get our hopes up with the former Buckeye, but where’s the fun in that? Consider us backing Campbell to break out in 2021.
1. Rock Ya-Sin
While all eyes at training camp will be on Carson Wentz, players returning from injury, free agent additions, and the incoming rookie class, we entered Wednesday just as intrigued to see how cornerback Rock Ya-Sin would respond to his starting job being up for grabs.
In fairness to the coaching staff, Ya-Sin didn’t deserve to maintain his starting role amid his disappointing sophomore campaign and he rightly lost playing time by the end of the year.
Rock-Ya Sin seems motivated to put his forgettable 2020 in the rearview.
However, the 2019 second-rounder looks motivated to prove his doubters wrong. With Xavier Rhodes and TJ Carrie, the two projected starters on the perimeter, shelved on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Ya-Sin got some run with the first team opposite slot specialist Kenny Moore.
Though Indianapolis is just two practices deep, Ya-Sin made the most of his opportunities, breaking up a pass intended for Michael Pittman before disrupting another throw later on.
The Colts appear set on having an open competition for the starting role on the boundary alongside Rhodes, and Ya-Sin and Carrie are likely to get the first cracks. Having said that, the third-year corner will have to string together more standout practices in order to gain back the trust of the coaching staff after his penalty-plagued Year 2.
Colts sign Braden Smith to contract extension amid troubling COVID news
The Indianapolis Colts have signed right tackle Braden Smith to a contract extension on Wednesday and he's among the highest-paid at his position.