The biggest early surprise in Indianapolis Colts training camp

The Indianapolis Colts could find themselves in an absolute dogfight in the suddenly competitive AFC South. With Anthony Richardson working his way back from an injury, Shane Steichen and the rest of the squad will need a few less-heralded players to rise up and make a difference.

The defensive side of the ball is the perfect spot for training camp stars to emerge as long-term contributors. Picked 151st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, former Missouri star Jaylon Carlies has been lighting it up so far.

Carlies has been flying around the field at Colts training camp, making plays in the passing game and hitting as hard as the situation will allow him. Anyone who flipped on his college tape at Missouri saw that same style of throwback player who is willing to put his body at risk for the sake of making a play.

While many of the Colts' starters are already set in stone, not everyone can count on their spot being locked in. With a few more impressive weeks of work, Carlies will be in the market for snaps in Indy's defense.

Indianapolis Colts Day 3 rookie Jaylon Carlies impressing in training camp

Carlies was one of the biggest impact players on a defense-first Missouri team that won 11 games and the Cotton Bowl last year. However, the star safety was viewed as too slow by many teams to stick at defensive back in the pros, which prompted the switch to inside linebacker.

To play in Gus Bradley's defense, linebackers need to be able to cover a ton of ground and fly to the ball when a catch is made. Even though the trend of turning bigger safeties into smaller linebackers is less popular than it was, Carlies' unique physical profile makes him ideal for such a move in a perfect scheme for his talents.

While Top 100 player Zaire Franklin is locked in as one of the starting linebackers, EJ Speed may need to look over his shoulder at Carlies. The same physicality and bone-jarring hits he delivered during his time at Missouri is what has helped him stand out at Colts training camp.

Carlies is still a Day 3 pick. meaning he has a hill to climb if he is ever going to become a regular presence in the base defense. Still, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and he has aced it so far.