The Indianapolis Colts are a very intriguing team heading into the 2022 NFL season – having added a new starting quarterback to the mix (Matt Ryan) will only make Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. better. Plus, the defensive unit added Stephon Gilmore to the mix, and so far he looks to come as advertised, a plus for their defensive secondary.
They look to be the team to beat in the AFC South divisional race this upcoming season, as their competition (Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans) is at different points of their competition windows, and the Colts seem to be the closest to being postseason ready.
But this roster is far from set, and the Colts have plenty of depth pieces that they need to grade in camp this August before they solidify their depth chart – which two players could see their holds on their starting roles disappear?
Colts First-Stringers In Danger Of Losing Starting Jobs In 2022
Parris Campbell
Outside of Pittman, the wide receiver room for the Colts is a bit of a mess. With no true WR2 option solidifying itself into the role, Parris Campbell looks to have the first shot at locking it up.
Injuries and drops have been constants across Campbell’s short career, and even though he seems to have been developing a strong relationship with Ryan so far in training camp, it may not be enough to hold onto that second starting WR job.
Cincinnati rookie Alec Pierce has looked the part and then some so far in camp, as the second-round selection has made the most of his camp reps up to this point. Taken with their first selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Indianapolis definitely has big plans for Pierce, who looks to have the inside chance at supplanting Campbell in his starting role.
Ryan needs to have a fleshed-out assortment of wideouts solidified far before the regular season comes around, and based on the trajectory that Pierce looks to be on currently, he may very well take the spot opposite Pittman for Week 1.
Rodrigo Blankenship
Incumbent kicker Rodrigo Blankenship had a strong rookie season for the Colts, going 32-for-37 on kicks, including 22/23 from inside of 40 yards. But his sophomore season was marred by inconsistencies, misses, and injuries, as he only played in five games last season.
As the Colts need to solidify their kicker position, they brought in Jake Verity, an option that has not seen any time in any regular season NFL games. But Verity saw training camp and preseason action with the Baltimore Ravens and Justin Tucker, something that certainly should have helped prepare him for this camp battle with Blankenship.
Blankenship may seem to have the upper hand at this point, but camp reports suggest that Verity is a legitimate contender to take the role away from Blankenship, as he has been neck and neck with ‘Hot Rod.’
Inconsistencies remain for both of these options, but there is a real chance that Blankenship becomes a roster casualty, with the job being handed to Verity in his first shot at NFL regular-season action. The Colts will need to have a solid kicker in place if they want to continue to capitalize on an updated offensive attack that looks to cement itself as the best in their division.
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