Sep 8, 2026 7:59 PM
Updated Sep 8, 2026 8:10 PM

The Indianapolis Colts have released their first depth chart of the regular season. What sticks out?

Indianapolis Colts HC Shane Steichen spoke ahead of the team's Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens about QB Daniel Jones, WR Alec Pierce, and more. (Video via Jake Arthur/ColtsRoundtable)More Videos

The Indianapolis Colts finally have their sights set on Week 1 of the regular season this Sunday as they welcome the Baltimore Ravens to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Ahead of the kickoff matchup, the Colts have released their first "unofficial" depth chart of the regular season, and it falls in line pretty well with what ColtsRoundtable has reported throughout the offseason.

Here's what sticks out about the Colts' initial depth chart.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson Sr., Riley Leonard

Related stories

It's felt like a foregone conclusion for a few months now that Jones would be 100% and ready to go by now after Achilles surgery in December. He took all the planned first-team reps throughout training camp and hasn't looked like a player returning from a major surgery. Behind him, Richardson won the backup job over Leonard after "making more plays" in the preseason, according to head coach Shane Steichen.

RUNNING BACK

Jonathan Taylor, Seth McGowan, DJ Giddens

There was a competition for the backup duties at running back as well, with rookie seventh-round pick McGowan running away from Giddens early in the summer. McGowan has been a decisive, tough, determined runner who's caught everything thrown his way and looked good in pass protection. While it's not been to the level of McGowan, Giddens has looked adequate after a rocky start to camp.

WIDE RECEIVER

X: Alec Pierce, Laquon Treadwell

Z: Keenan Allen, Ashton Dulin, Deion Burks

SLOT: Josh Downs

Pierce's return from ankle surgery and Allen's addition have let everyone in the receiver corps fall into their natural roles and play to their strengths. We could see Allen and Downs used interchangeably in 11 personnel, while Dulin plays more on run downs and Allen sees more action in obvious passing situations.

TIGHT END

Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree

The Colts kept the status quo here, with the only exception being that fourth tight end Will Mallory is on temporary Injured Reserve with a thumb injury. Otherwise, Warren will see the lion's share of the work, with Alie-Cox and Ogletree coming in to primarily provide blocking.

OFFENSIVE LINE

LT: Bernhard Raimann

LG: Quenton Nelson, Dalton Tucker

C: Tanor Bortolini, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger

RG: Matt Goncalves, Jalen Farmer

RT: Jalen Travis, Luke Tenuta

The Colts' starting line has remained untouched all offseason, but the second group has been a bit of a toss-up. They were all but forced to trade for Pran-Granger after Tucker's rough attempt at center, but having him and Farmer provide backup at guard is likely best. Meanwhile, Tenuta may be the team's best option to fill in at tackle in-game, while Goncalves could start at either tackle spot if an injury occurs, with Farmer moving into the starting lineup.

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

DE: Arden Key, Jaylahn Tuimoloau, George Gumbs Jr.

DT: DeForest Buckner, Adetomiwa Adebawore

NT: Grover Stewart, Jerry Tillery, Tim Smith

DE: Laiatu Latu, Micheal Clemons, Caden Curry

The Colts are very reliant on young players taking big steps. We did see real growth this summer from guys like Latu, Adebawore, and Smith, and rookies Gumbs and Curry were pleasant surprises. However, the Colts need the likes of Key, Tuimoloau, and Tillery to be strong contributors who play above their outside perception. The Colts added plenty of players this offseason, but was the group of them good enough at the top to make a difference?

LINEBACKER

MIKE: Akeem Davis-Gaither, CJ Allen, Austin Ajiake

WILL: Jaylon Carlies, Bryce Boettcher, Tahj Chambers

There will be quite the rotation at linebacker throughout the year, according to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. While Davis-Gaither and Carlies will get most of the work initially, it's only a matter of time before Allen becomes the most frequent flyer. Allen missed several days of camp with groin and hamstring injuries, which put him a bit behind the 8-ball until he's up to speed. Expect to see Boettcher and Ajiake in some capacity, too. It may take the Colts a little while to figure out who they like best in certain situations.

CORNERBACK

CB: Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward Sr., Johnathan Edwards

NCB: Justin Walley, Kapena Gushiken

This group looks a little thin initially while Cam Taylor-Britt serves his Week 1 suspension, but he helps add good depth as someone capable of playing on the boundary and inside in the slot. He did both throughout the summer and looked adequate doing so. On paper, this'll be one of the Colts' best cornerback groups in years if Gardner, Ward, and Walley can stay healthy, which eluded the trio last year.

SAFETY

FS: Cam Bynum, Jonathan Owens

SS: A.J. Haulcy, Hunter Wohler

The strong safety competition has gone back and forth all summer, but once Haulcy grabbed hold, he's been relatively firm in that spot. Wohler got most of the work early in camp before a hamstring injury cost him a week-plus, giving Haulcy the edge. However, Haulcy has missed the last couple of weeks with an ankle injury, and Wohler has filled in since.

SPECIAL TEAMS

P: Rigoberto Sanchez

K: Spencer Shrader

H: Rigoberto Sanchez

LS: Luke Rhodes

KR: Ashton Dulin, Seth McGowan

PR: Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin

Shrader won the kicking competition over Blake Grupe after Grupe dominated camp and Shrader put a stranglehold on the preseason. Grupe has since joined the New York Jets. Elsewhere, the Colts are determining their strongest returner for kickoffs and punts, and they'll work it out throughout the week ahead of Sunday. On Tuesday, special teams coordinator Brian Mason said they wouldn't announce a decision on a punt returner yet, and that Dulin will factor into the kickoff return game.

4
Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy