Michael Pittman Jr. was part of the Indianapolis Colts' wide receiver unit for six seasons until his early offseason trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the start of free agency in March. Pittman had been the Colts' top target for the majority of those six seasons, but he wasn't the only wideout in the room for those same six years.
Ashton Dulin was with Pittman every year, aside from missing the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL, but was never a feature receiver and doubled as a kick returner, playing a lot on special teams. Dulin has done his time in Indianapolis and has remained a serviceable depth wideout, while still returning kicks.
Next season could be different for Dulin, though, with Pittman now gone. Alec Pierce is the new No. 1 option, and Josh Downs the likely No 2. The Colts have an open competition for the No. 3 spot, and Dulin's years in service and experience make him the strongest candidate.
Ashton Dulin speaks about Michael Pittman Jr's departure while competing in the Indianapolis Colts' minicamp
Still, despite his veteran presence and familiarity with the Colts' offense, he knows he still has to compete, and he's saying all the right things to get him in the right frame of mind.
If Downs secures the No. 2 spot behind Pierce, as he's expected to, then Dulin will be competing with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (whom the Colts signed in free agency) and Deion Burks (whom the Colts drafted in the seventh round of this year's draft).
Given Burks' rookie status, it's almost certain he'll play next season low on the depth chart, but that doesn't mean the Colts won't use him or see him as a reliable future piece of their offense. Really, the No. 3 spot battle is between Dulin and Westbrook-Ikhine. Both players are receiving the first reps in minicamp to claim the third starting spot.
Westbrook-Ikhine has far better career numbers than Dulin, but again, Dulin has familiarity and experience with the Colts' system, which is to his advantage. That said, at the end of the day, there are no handouts, and Dulin recently spoke about his mindset as he competes in mini camps, while also discussing what Pittman left behind after his trade, via The Athletic's James Boyd.
“Yeah, losing Pitt, obviously was big for our room." Dulin said. “This guy was a culture guy. A leader guy. So we’ll miss him obviously, but our receivers are a good, close-knit group. Everybody’s kind of been riding with us for a while now. Definitely taking that opportunity to fill that space after Pitt left.
“That’s just being on the basis of doing everything right, every day. Come into work. Open the playbook. Take care of your bodies. Being available and knowing your role as well. Knowing that, that spot is available, and everybody’s competing for it. So for me, it’s attacking as if it was my first year. Knowing that, that spot is open, there’s points to be proven, and reps to be won, so that’s my mindset.”
Right now might be Dulin's final chance at grabbing a top-end roster spot with the Colts. He's never officially held a top spot, never mind the third spot specifically. His window today is more wide open than it ever has been, so it's welcoming to hear his remarks, and that he's more than willing to work for a higher role in the Colts' offense.
Dulin has just 40 receptions in six NFL seasons, for under 1,000 yards and four touchdowns. Considering his main role being a kick returner, those offensive numbers make some sense. That said, if he wins the No. 3 job over the course of this offseason, those numbers should see a large uptick. With a largely unproven receiver room, the Colts will need whatever Dulin can give them.
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