Colts Have Plenty Room to Move Up in New Power Rankings

After missing the playoffs for a fifth straight year, the Indianapolis Colts came into the offseason with the objective to make moves to "win now" in 2026.

This year isn't about developing young players or "seeing what they've got;" it's about none other than getting back into the postseason and proving their 8-2 start to 2025 wasn't just a fluke.

So, have the Colts done enough to sway people's opinions that they're ready to win in 2026? Some are still skeptical.

ESPN put out their latest NFL power rankings this week following the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Colts came in at No. 20, which is one spot down from their 19th ranking in ESPN's initial rankings.

In fairness, the Colts are very much a wait-and-see team.

They re-signed quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce this offseason, but Jones is recovering from a season-ending Achilles injury suffered last year in Week 14. Pierce is stepping into the WR1 role for the Colts when he's never been better than third on the team in pass targets.

The Colts have spent ample money in free agency, but has it been enough to say the team is better now than they were last year?

“Well, I think our depth up front is better. I do believe that," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said this offseason when asked where the team has gotten better. "I think on offense, we're going to bet on some development of players. I mean, that's kind of what we've done. I mean, you've got to be able to do that.

"And then I think the ability on offense to get – I think we're going to be able to get Pierce and (Josh) Downs, I've said this numerous times about Josh Downs, I think Josh Downs is good. I've always thought he was good. We'll see how it plays out, but I think getting him and Pierce the ball more is going to be a good thing.”

Aside from questions about Jones and Pierce, the Colts will be without receiver Michael Pittman Jr. for the first time since 2019, as the team traded him to make room for Pierce's new payday and bigger role in the offense.

The expectation is that Pierce, Josh Downs, and Tyler Warren will all step up in the passing game, but whether someone grabs hold of the third receiver spot remains to be seen.

Elsewhere on offense, the run game and offensive line should be a strength. Jonathan Taylor had arguably his strongest season last year, and the line is only turning over right tackle Braden Smith, but the Colts played with Jalen Travis in his place for the last month of the season last year anyway after he went on Injured Reserve.

Fourth-round pick Jalen Farmer brings intrigue to the offensive line, as he could be a sneaky pick to steal a starting spot or key depth role, which could shift other players to fill needs elsewhere.

Defensively, there is cautious optimism about the secondary and linebacker group after making several moves throughout the offseason, including using their first draft pick on linebacker CJ Allen out of Georgia.

Cornerback is flush with talent, as Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward Sr. man the boundaries, and Justin Walley is expected to replace Kenny Moore II in the slot after Moore asked for a trade. Cam Taylor-Britt, Mekhi Blackmon, Jaylon Jones, Johnathan Edwards, and Cameron Mitchell will battle to fill out the depth.

Safety added some talent despite losing starting strong safety Nick Cross in free agency. The Colts drafted A.J. Haulcy in the third round to pair with Cam Bynum. The two should create plenty of plays over the middle of the field.

The pass rush is a significant question mark, primarily on the edges. The Colts replaced free agents Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis with Arden Key and Micheal Clemons, but have yet to replace starter Kwity Paye. The Colts did draft Jaylahn Tuimoloau in the second round of last year's draft, but he played just 215 snaps on defense last year.

Arguably the most significant factor that makes the Colts such a wait-and-see team is the reliance on players returning from injury. Jones (Achilles), Gardner (calf), Ward (concussions), Walley (knee), DeForest Buckner (neck), and Hunter Wohler (foot) all spent serious time on the sidelines while injured last year, but will be counted on to make a large impact in 2026.