The Indianapolis Colts’ first training camp practice will take place on July 23rd, so after taking a look at the key positional battles on the offensive side of the football, let’s do the same for the defense.
Whether it be for playing time or a spot on the 53-man roster, a huge part of training camp is the positional battles that take place. The foundation for these competitions is laid during offseason programs, but the intensity turns up when training camp arrives and the pads come on.
The next several weeks will be crucial in determining what the Colts’ Week 1 roster and depth charts look like.
How does playing time shake out along the defensive line?
We know that DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart will lead the way at defensive tackle. We can also assume that Laiatu Latu and Kwity Paye will do the same at defensive end. But defensive tackle and end are two heavily rotated positions where four or sometimes even five players at each spot see snaps on a regular basis.
Competing for the rotational playing time at tackle will be Neville Gallimore, Tim Smith, Eric Johnson, and Adetomiwa Adebawore. At defensive end, it’ll be JT Tuimoloau, Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis, and Isaiah Land.
Also, from a roster numbers perspective, not all eight of those players just mentioned are making the team either. Land, as of now, may be on the outside looking in at end, while at defensive tackle, there are a number of different ways the depth chart behind Buckner and Stewart could unfold.
What does the Colts’ linebacker room look like?
Jaylon Carlies is the presumed starter next to Zaire Franklin, although he will have some catching up to do after missing offseason programs recovering from shoulder surgery. But when it comes to how things shake out behind those two on the depth chart, there is some unknown.
In my latest roster prediction, I had Segun Olubi and Cameron McGrone on the 53-man because of their special teams experience, along with Joe Bachie, who has been a core special teams contributor and has played in Lou Anarumo’s defense the last few seasons.
However, any time you have inexperience at a position like the Colts do when it comes to defensive snaps, there is always an opportunity for a lesser talker about player to make a run at a roster spot.
Who starts opposite of Charvarius Ward?
We know that Ward will be lining up at one of the outside cornerback positions, and Kenny Moore will primarily be in the nickel. But the starting spot opposite of Ward is up for grabs.
Presumably, Jaylon Jones, JuJu Brents, and Justin Walley will be competing for that playing time, but also on the roster are Corey Ballentine and Samuel Womack. Given how much Anarumo disguises and varies coverages, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see multiple defenders get snaps here over the course of the season, depending on what the matchup dictates.
Ultimately, what Anarumo is looking for is consistency.
“Just consistency of work, and that’s going to have to show throughout training camp, throughout the preseason games, to determine who’s going to get that job,” Anarumo said.
Who ends up as the third safety?
Cam Bynum and Nick Cross will be starting here, but unlike in Gus Bradley’s defense, the third safety on the depth chart under Anarumo does see his share of opportunities as well.
Competing for that role will be Rodney Thomas and Hunter Wohler. Again, this is a role that could change based on the matchup, and the decision could hinge on how Anarumo wants to utilize Cross. For example, and as noted by Zach Hicks of Horseshoe Huddle, if Cross is playing deep, then Wohler would make the most sense as the third safety option. If Cross is near the line of scrimmage, then Thomas playing deep next to Bynum is an option.
It’ll also be interesting to see how many safeties the Colts roster. Under Bradley, they rostered just four in recent seasons, but perhaps Anarumo wants to keep five in a defensive scheme that is going to rely more heavily on the defensive back position.
Don’t forget about the kicker
Along with signing Spencer Shrader in free agency, the Colts also added rookie Maddux Trujillo as a UDFA after the NFL draft. Shrader is the favorite to be the Colts’ Week 1 kicker, but as special teams coordinator Brian Mason mentioned, he will have to earn that role in an open competition.
“Spencer certainly has a little bit of a step up in that,” said Mason, via 107.5 The Fan. “He’s already been in the league, already been here, but it is definitely an open competition. That’s how I view it.”
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 4 Indianapolis Colts training camp battles on defense to watch closely
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
