Is the roster spot of a recent Indianapolis Colts draft pick in jeopardy this summer?
Following the conclusion of offseason programs, Jake Arthur of Roundtable Sports and Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan put out their early roster predictions. On both projections, Arthur and Bowen had wide receiver Anthony Gould on the outside looking in.
While there is still a long way to go before these final roster decisions have to be made, with training camp and the preseason carrying the most weight in those determinations, this is noteworthy given that Arthur and Bowen have been at each open Colts’ practice this offseason.
Gould was a Day 3 draft pick by the Colts in 2024. He’s seen very few offensive snaps during his first two seasons, but did emerge as the Colts’ primary return man last season.
Typically, teams will roster five or six wide receivers on the final 53-man. What we know right now is that Alec Pierce and Josh Downs will lead the way, while Ashton Dulin, Laquon Treadwell, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Deion Burks are all in the mix for the WR3 role.
Gould, a slot receiver, won’t be competing for those outside snaps, which could leave him on the outside looking in.
The challenge for Gould is that there are others who can fill his role offensively. Burks can handle slot snaps, while in past games without Downs, the Colts have utilized a rotation in the slot to make up for his absence.
On return duties, Downs, Dulin, and Burks can handle those responsibilities. Treadwell also offers more experience and can impact both the offense and special teams in a greater variety of ways. Burks is the more recent draft pick and offers more ways to impact the game as well. Westbrook-Ikhine was signed this offseason in free agency.
Gould’s best path to making the team again may be him showcasing that he is, without a doubt, the most effective return man, given that his role on offense is likely to remain small. Otherwise, he could be left off the final roster.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Is roster spot of recent Colts’ draft pick in jeopardy?
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
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By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
