Mandatory minicamp has arrived for the Indianapolis Colts, running from June 9 through 11.
During this time of the year, many will be watching the key positional battles that will be taking place on the roster, whether that be for playing time or final roster spots.
Although what happens in minicamp won’t ultimately determine the winner of those competitions, what takes place over these three days provides us with insight into where things stand and lays the foundation for what’s to come.
Some position battles will be more intense and intriguing than others, but here is a rundown of every potential camp competition that could take place over the coming months.
Backup quarterback
Shane Steichen has said that Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard will be competing for this role. The two will split reps in practice, and a decision won’t be made until training camp unfolds.
Backup running back
Jonathan Taylor will lead the way, but DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan will compete for the RB2 role.
Who is WR3?
Ashton Dulin, Deion Burks, Laquon Treadwell, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine should all be in the mix. While there will be a starter on paper at that position, all three players could fill that role in a by-committee approach by the Colts, with the matchups and in-game situations dictating who’s on the field.
Can Will Mallory secure a roster spot?
With largely the same tight end room as last season, there isn’t a lot of mystery here. Leading the way once again will be Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, and Drew Ogletree. Mallory is likely to be the fourth tight end, but he’s not a roster lock either.
Will Jalen Farmer push for playing time?
The Colts believe that Farmer can play tackle in addition to guard, setting the stage for him to potentially compete with Matt Goncalves. That said, the Colts seem quite bullish about Goncalves entering his second season at guard. Ideally, there should be some competition for Jalen Travis at right tackle, given his inexperience, but I’m not sure who on the roster can provide that.
Starting role at defensive end
The starting spot opposite of Laiatu Latu is up for grabs. Arden Key and Jaylahn Tuimoloau may be the top contenders for that role.
Playing time at DT behind Buckner and Stewart
Leading the way once again at this position will be Buckner and Stewart, but how the rotation behind them shakes out remains to be seen. Weekly matchups and in-game situations — run vs. passing downs — could strongly dictate what those rotations look like. Colby Wooden, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Jerry Tillery, Derrick Nnadi, and Tim Smith will all be vying for snaps. Realistically, not all of these players will make the final roster either.
The linebacker depth chart
CJ Allen will be the Colts’ new MIKE linebacker, but the WILL linebacker role next to him could be up for grabs between Akeen Davis-Gaither and Bryce Boettcher. We also don’t know how the depth chart shakes out behind these three. The Colts seem to really like UDFAs West Weeks and Tahj Chambers, who could push Austin Ajiake and Jaylon Carlies for a roster spot. Special teams contributions will be key.
What does the cornerback depth chart look like?
We know who sits at the top of this depth chart, but how things shake out behind Charvarius Ward, Sauce Gardner, and Justin Walley remains to be seen. Cam Taylor-Britt, Mekhi Blackmon, Jaylon Jones, Johnathan Edwards, and Cameron Mitchell are competing for two or maybe three available roster spots, which means two or three of these players will be on the outside looking in come roster cutdowns.
Who starts at safety next to Cam Bynum?
Rookie AJ Haulcy will compete with Hunter Wohler, Jonathan Owens, and Juanyeh Thomas for the starting role next to Cam Bynum. In the early going, Haulcy may have the early edge, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder. Haulcy’s ball skills and versatility could help raise the ceiling of this Colts’ secondary if he’s able to win the job.
Kicker
Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader will be competing for the Colts’ kicking job.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 11 position battles to watch during Colts’ minicamp practices
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
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By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
