The Indianapolis Colts begin another phase of their offseason this week, and for the players they selected in the draft, their real work begins now. The Colts went defense-heavy in the draft, selecting five defensive players to three offensive ones.Â
The Colts had many needs on defense, and the draft presented plenty of choices; as did free agency, which the Colts focused on mainly on defense. With OTAs beginning this week, however, competition and position battles will ensue, with many rookies expected to fight for a spot on the 53-man roster, albeit without any pads on.Â
Still, contact or no contact, OTAs present Colts' head coach Shane Steichen, offensive and defensive coordinators Jim Bob Cooter and Lou Anarumo, and the rest of the coaching staff with their first real, up-close-and-personal look at their rookies. Everyone wants to make the final cut, and Colts fans should be watching these three rookies as they compete to break in.Â
The Indianapolis Colts are hoping these 3 rookies standout during OTAs
CJ Allen, LB
The Colts have made several linebacker additions so far this offseason, both in the draft and in free agency. Depth was the goal for signing Akeem Davis-Gaither in free agency, but selecting CJ Allen as their first pick in the draft was intended to make a starter out of him, and he's likely to achieve that.Â
That said, a likely starter's role doesn't mean Allen can sit back and watch in OTAs, of course. He'll have to compete with everyone else. The Colts drafted Allen because they absolutely needed help at linebacker, so now is the former Georgia Bulldog's chance to prove they made the right call.Â
Bryce Boettcher, LB
Another linebacker the Colts selected out of Oregon was Bryce Boettcher, though his path to a potential starter's role on the Colts may be different from, say, Allen's. Boettcher can play both the middle and weakside positions, and the Colts are likely to see how he handles both in OTAs.
If Allen solidifies himself as a starter early on as the Colts middle linebacker (he played middle for Georgia), Boettcher will be competing with Davis-Gaither for the other linebacker position. Leading up to the draft, Colts scouts praised Boettcher's work ethic, communication, and coachability; even Colts general manager Chris Ballard loved his toughness and high level of competitiveness. Boettcher will have to use all of those qualities to his advantage during OTAs.
AJ Haulcy, S
One position group that the Colts have plenty of bodies for is at safety; Cam Bynum, Jonathan Owens, and Juanyeh Thomas, to name a few, so where AJ Haulcy fits into that mix is obviously unknown at the moment. That said, Haulcy was selected to help fill Nick Cross's void after he left in free agency.
The good news for Haulcy is that there was a clear purpose in drafting him, which means the Colts see him as a player who can make an immediate impact. Haulcy is a highly instinctive, physical playmaker with a lot of versatility. It's likely that the Colts use Haulcy situationally, when someone like Bynum is out for a play or two. Either way, it will be fun to watch Haulcy compete with a crowded safety room.
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