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How close are the Indianapolis Colts to making a spot in the NFL playoffs?
The Colts ended last season with a record of 4-12-1, putting them in third place in the AFC South and at 15th in the AFC. They hired head coach Shane Steichen, formerly the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, in February.
“Shane had a lot of that offensive magic, which is hard to find in this league,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in February. “Offense, in my mind, can be a little more complex and takes a longer time to develop knowing that we're going to have to find a young quarterback to develop. That's a key factor, but he had to show the leadership, he had to show that he had a presence, and boy did he come through in that in his interview.”
The Colts welcomed 12 rookies to their ranks via the 2023 NFL Draft. They selected Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson at No. 4 before taking Kansas State cornerback Julius Brents in the second round. North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs, BYU offensive tackle Blake Freeland and Northwestern defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore rounded out the third and fourth rounds.
The Colts will have plenty to prove and improve as they head into the 2023 season. There will be plenty of free agents, including wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie and quarterback Gardner Minshew, who could make an impact for Indianapolis early on.
Who are some sleeper players who could have break-out seasons for the Colts next year?
Jelani Woods
The Colts will likely have a new identity on offense under Steichen and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.
Steichen said the team's offense would be dictated by who plays at the quarterback spot in February.
“Obviously the offense is going to be dictated on who's playing quarterback,” Steichen said, via Colts.com. “That's how you build the system — what he does well, what are his strengths. But not only just the quarterback, it's the players, too — what does (Michael) Pittman (Jr.) run well receiver-wise? Tight ends, the backs, Jonathan Taylor, the offensive line, what do they do well? We want to do a hell of a job putting our guys in position to make plays.”
Indianapolis ended last season with a total of 3,854 passing yards, putting them at 20th in the NFL behind the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Its 17 passing touchdowns put it on par with the Cardinals, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons.
Woods ended last season with 312 total receiving yards and three touchdowns during his first year with Indianapolis. The former third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft placed fourth on the team in total receiving yards behind receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce.
If Woods can find a more prominent role in Steichen's new-look offense and build upon a solid first season with the Colts, he could see a break-out season during just his second year in the NFL.
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Bernhard Raimann
A competitive team is only complete with formidable depth on both sides of the trenches.
The Colts' offensive line allowed 60 sacks last season, putting them at second-to-last in the NFL behind the Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans.
Raimann, a former third-round pick from Central Michigan, is taking the lessons he learned during his first year in the NFL and applying them to Year 2, according to a May article from Colts.com.
“You could have 70 good snaps and then you get one or two bad ones in there, you're gonna think about those the most the next day, especially if you don't win as a team, So you just kind of get in your own head a little bit, but that's also something you gotta learn is it's a week to week league and you got to learn from the mistakes, and then improve them. But looking back at the last season, obviously you kind of watch those bad plays over and over again, and just gonna make sure they don't happen again.”
Cooter praised the 25-year-old lineman in May.
“I think the trajectory is heading in the right direction with him,” Cooter said, via Colts.com. “As a young player in this league, struggles as a rookie, they're not uncommon, right? Those things do happen.
“He's got some talent, he's got a great mentality around the building, he's really into — whether it's our meetings offensively or coach (Tony) Sparano (Jr.)'s meeting offensive line-wise, he's asking the right questions, he's working to get better. A lot of times in this league, going from Year 1 to Year 2 can be one of the biggest steps you'll have in your career.”
Like Woods, if he can keep refining his skill set in the offseason, he can become an extremely valuable part of a revamped Colts offense early on in his NFL career.
