The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a disappointing 2019 NFL season and will surely have to make the most out of their massive salary cap in order to make some much-needed upgrades this offseason.
There was not much for the Colts to hang their hat on after losing five of their last six games and effectively losing control of their own playoff destiny in the AFC South. Fortunately, there were still a few pleasant surprises that we're able to stand out in the midst of their struggles.
Here are the three players that served as the few lone bright spots for the Colts in the 2019 campaign.
3. Marlon Mack
Perhaps the most notable performance on offense this season came from running back Marlon Mack. Although he had already managed to piece together a solid 2018 campaign, he managed to kick things up a notch by emerging as a bonafide workhorse in the Colts' backfield.
Despite suffering a fractured hand in Week 11, Mack still managed to finish the year with his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign while tacking on eight touchdowns. While Indianapolis still has plenty of voids to fill, they can take solace in the fact that he has proven capable of heading their ground attack for years to come.
2. Braden Smith
It would be difficult to imagine Mack enjoying the success he did without the emergence of right tackle Braden Smith. While some improvement following a player's rookie year is to be expected, the notable jump Smith made for this offensive line was too big to ignore.
Smith came into the league after spending his college career at Auburn playing left guard, however, he has since made the successful transition to the outside as tackle. His development helped him become the starter in Week 5 and he never looked back. Even though there is some need for improvement as a pass-blocker, his prowess as a run-blocker clearly paid huge dividends for Mack.
1. Anthony Walker
One of the most pleasant surprises for the Colts down the stretch of the 2019 campaign was undoubtedly the play of linebacker Anthony Walker. Walker initially has had some trouble stringing together strong performances on a constant basis thus far, however, he finally managed to show his potential as a bonafide starter by finishing the year with a career-high 123 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two defended passes, one interception, and one forced fumble
It should be noted that he was able to finish the season with three consecutive double-digit tackling performances. His improvement should make him a viable option alongside linebacker Darius Leonard in the 2020 NFL season.
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