In 2023, the Indianapolis Colts found themselves the unlikely team that finished out the season with a winning record despite losing their starting quarterback for all but four games.

Now granted, the Colts did have one of the better backup quarterbacks in the game in Gardner Minshew, who rookie head coach Shane Steichen knew very well from their time together in Philadelphia, but that still doesn't change the fact that the front office built a strong enough supporting cast that even a gunslinging, RV-living, Washington State product could find success at the controls.

Fortunately, Anthony Richardson is expected to make a full recovery in time for camp this summer and will be able to experience the team's impressive growth firsthand, including the additions of two blue chippers who could start for a decade at defensive end and wide receiver, respectively.

These rookies could be players for the Indianapolis Colts in 2024.

UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Laiatu Latu poses after being selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the No. 15 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza.
Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Laiatu Latu poses after being selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the No. 15 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2. Laiatu Latu will push Samson Ebukam at Defensive End

From a talent standpoint alone, many talent evaluators pegged Laiatu Latu as the best defensive player in the entire 2024 NFL draft. Sure, some folks naturally preferred Dallas Turner, and others had a soft spot for Jared Verse, who ended up in Minnesota and Los Angeles, respectively, but when it came to identifying a rusher who could step on the field and win right now, the pride of UCLA was in a league of his own.

The only issue? His injury history.

Still, even though some teams reportedly kept Latu off of their boards due to his medical retirement for a neck injury back in his Washington days doesn't mean he won't immediately make an impact for the Colts right out of the gate, beating out former San Francisco 49ers edge Samson Ebukam for a starting spot and holding it until he leaves the team one way or another in the future.

Standing 6-foot-5, 259 pounds with a 4.64 40 and a bag of tricks a mile long, Latu is a technician when the ball is snapped, using his impressive size, speed, and technical proficiency to consistently keep a leg up on opposing offensive linemen while keeping them guessing once the ball is snapped. Will Latu go for a speed move? Maybe. Or how about a bull rush? That's in his back of tricks, too, as is an impressive counter and a swim move for good measure, too. Throw him on either side of the line, playing against the pass or the run as a three-down base defensive lineman, and watch the collegiate Bruin transition from one blue uniform to another on his way to becoming the best defensive end the Colts have employed since prime Justin Houston.

1 Adonai Mitchell will push Alec Pierce for WR3

While Laiatu Latu will almost certainly earn major snaps for the Colts in 2024 and may even start Week 1 if he can outplay Ebukam and/or 2021 first-round pick Kwity Paye, he isn't the only member of Indianapolis' draft class who could start for the team this fall, as Alec Pierce's spot at WR3 looks pretty up in the air heading into his third season with the team.

On paper, Pierce is a good player to have on an NFL roster; he's got good size, great speed, and enough upside to continue to improve heading into the future, but he is not Adonai Mitchell, the star wide receiver out of Texas who dazzled fans for years in Austin last season after beginning his career at Georgia.

Standing 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with a 4.34 40-yar dash, a 39.5-inch vertical jump, and a 136-inch broad jump, marks that rank in the 94th, 89th, and 98th percentile according to Mockdraftable, Mitchell is an absolute game-changer when he steps foot on the field, with enough speed to do work on go balls, and enough electricity to turn a simple screen into a touchdown against even the most savvy of defensive fronts. He scored 11 touchdowns in 2023 during his lone season at Texas, four more than both of his seasons at Georgia combine, and was widely expected to go in the first round, even if he ultimately fell to pick 52 for one reason or another.

Will Mitchell start for the Colts as a rookie? Yes, even if it doesn't happen in Week 1, he will almost certainly fill that role by the end of the season and may even push Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. as the new receiving focal point of the Colts' offense heading into the future. After appearing in just four games in 2023, it would appear Anthony Richardson has found his long-term partner in crime.