WESTFIELD — The Colts wrapped up an era Thursday, saying goodbye to Grand Park after nearly a decade.
Indianapolis finished its 2026 training camp with a pair of joint practices against the Falcons.
The Colts play a preseason game at 1 p.m. Saturday against Atlanta at Lucas Oil Stadium, and then the team will return to its own facility, starting to shift into regular-season mode while practicing at the home base that will house training camps in the future.
“It’s been a hell of a ride here since 2018,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said. “The hospitality, the fan support, that comes out here. It’s just been incredible, the setup, so couldn’t be more thankful to Grand Park for everything they did.”
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The work the Colts wanted to accomplish in training camp isn’t completely done. Training camp is about getting an NFL team ready for the season ahead, but it’s also about finalizing the 53-man roster that will open the season, and questions remain heading into the final two preseason games, the final two chances for players on the roster bubble to make their case.
1. Because he is coming off a torn right Achilles tendon, Daniel Jones was supposed to be one of the biggest questions of training camp. From the start, though, Jones looked like one of the most reliable pieces of the Indianapolis roster. Fully mobile and capable of taking off when he sees an opening, Jones has been the accurate, quick decision-maker the Colts need, although the absence of Alec Pierce has kept Jones from pushing the ball downfield as much as the Colts would like.
2. Anthony Richardson has shown flashes of brilliance. When he’s in rhythm and has his feet set, he can still rip a completion over the middle. The problem is that it hasn’t been consistent. Richardson struggled with receiving snaps early in training camp, still has the bouts of inaccuracy that have plagued him throughout his career and sometimes looks indecisive in the pocket, leading to misses, sacks and scrambles instead of big plays downfield.
3. Riley Leonard spent the offseason focused on learning to read defenses pre-snap, but it hasn’t always translated to quick decisions from the pocket. Leonard had a tendency in training camp to hold the ball a little too long in the pocket, an issue that sometimes leads to missed throws, especially throws down the field. When he gets on a run, Leonard can string nine or 10 completions in a row, but he hasn’t been able to do it enough to pull away from Richardson, and Steichen indicated the battle for the No. 2 job is still raging as the preseason continues.
4. Jonathan Taylor remains a patient runner up until the point of attack and a dangerous weapon in the open field. If his hands were more consistent, Taylor could make an even bigger impact, but he still struggles with the occasional drop.
5. Seth McGowan has been a revelation. A different kind of runner than the patient Taylor, McGowan makes one cut and gets up the field. That cut is often well placed, a result of the rookie’s vision, and he runs with the power the Colts envisioned when they drafted him out of Kentucky. McGowan has shown capable hands on screens and checkdowns, offering another option when he’s in the game.
6. Ulysses Bentley IV left Thursday’s practice with an ankle injury, but the second-year back has made an impressive push for a roster spot in training camp. While Bentley sometimes struggles to create space for himself as a runner, he is an excellent receiving option with natural hands and a good feel for how to use his speed against linebackers and safeties. Bentley’s emergence has put some pressure on second-year back DJ Giddens, who missed most of training camp due to a hamstring injury. Giddens does not have Bentley’s hands, but the 2025 fifth-rounder is a much more natural runner.
7. Alec Pierce’s availability is the biggest remaining question on the Indianapolis roster. His ability to take the top off the defense is key, not only because of the explosive plays but because of what he opens up for the rest of the Colts’ weapons.
8. Josh Downs remains a weapon on short and intermediate routes, but he did not make many catches down the field, and he still struggles with size on the outside.
9. The Colts badly needed Keenan Allen. Pierce’s absence allowed Indianapolis to audition a bunch of different options for the open outside job, but the team’s joint practices drove home the lack of reliability outside of the top guys.
10. Ashton Dulin’s hands are not always consistent, but he was the best of the other Colts’ receiving options. Dulin’s power and speed make him a difficult cover at the line of scrimmage, and he should be in line for significant snaps as the team’s No. 4.
11. Rookie receiver Deion Burks remains a work in progress as a punt returner, leaving the job open for a battle between Coleman Owen and Anthony Gould. Gould is the better return man; Owen looked like the more productive backup behind Downs in the slot. A groin injury may have complicated the picture for Gould, who has missed key time in joint practices and the preseason.
12. Indianapolis typically carries six wide receivers. If the Colts decide to carry six again, it will likely come down to a special-teams decision. Former Indiana receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine made plays early in training camp but saw his highlights wane as camp progressed. Laquon Treadwell played 141 snaps in the kicking game last season, but the 31-year-old has trouble making an impact at receiver. Burks has plenty of speed and made a lot of plays on crossing routes; Indianapolis could keep Burks and stash him on the inactive list if the rest of the roster allows it.
13. Tyler Warren looks like he’ll be the passing game’s No. 1 target.
14. Every team has a player like Mo Alie-Cox, a tight end whose primary job is to move people in the running game.
15. The Colts have two of those players. Drew Ogletree’s a versatile blocker who doubles as a jolt of energy on the sideline.
16. Will Mallory is clearly a capable receiving option if Warren has to miss time. He doesn’t have Warren’s open-field ability, but he has sure hands and can make contested catches.
17. Bernhard Raimann’s a rock on the left side.
18. Same goes for Quenton Nelson.
19. Tanor Bortolini sometimes struggles with power in one-on-one pass-rush drills, but his ability to get out and move is key to the Indianapolis running game.
20. Matt Goncalves might be this team’s swing tackle in addition to his duties as the starting right guard.
21. Jalen Travis is the big unknown on the Indianapolis offensive line. While Travis was excellent after taking over for Braden Smith down the stretch, the second-year offensive tackle has gone through a few issues with speed during training camp, and there may still be a few growing pains as a young tackle.
22. Fourth-round pick Jalen Farmer never found a way to challenge for a spot in the top five, but he will likely be the team’s sixth offensive lineman, the first man on the field if an injury happens to anybody other than Bortolini.
23. Blake Freeland has been better than expected as he returns from a fractured leg that cost him the entire 2025 season, but he’s inconsistent enough that the Colts might opt for Goncalves in a pinch. Indianapolis could be on the lookout for tackle depth on the waiver wire.
24. Indianapolis might also be looking for a backup center. Dalton Tucker, a capable backup at guard who should have a roster spot, has spent a lot of time working at center this offseason, but he still struggles at times with the shotgun snap. If Bortolini goes down, the Colts need someone they can trust, and the team’s other options, Jimmy Morrissey and Geno VanDeMark, haven’t been able to push Tucker back to guard full-time.
25. Laiatu Latu faces a critical season. While he will likely be the team’s best edge rusher, Latu has to prove he can be the kind of game-wrecking weapon the Colts need outside, and although he’s been good in training camp, Latu has fallen short of wrecking entire practices with his presence.
26. The Colts have been careful with DeForest Buckner, but the veteran has shown enough of his old athleticism to believe that he can still be a difference-maker, especially with options around to give him a chance to breathe every once in a while.
27. Grover Stewart remains a fortress in the middle.
28. Arden Key’s a professional edge rusher, the kind of veteran who won’t take over games but will likely provide pressure off the right side.
29. It is easy to see why the Colts took a chance on Micheal Clemons. When he’s on the outside, he does a good job pushing the edge in the run game, and as a pass rusher, his quickness makes him a difficult player for guards and centers to handle. The potential is there for Clemons to be better in Indianapolis than he was in New York.
30. Adetomiwa Adebawore’s quickness as an interior pass rusher produces flashes, making him a good interior option.
31. How Indianapolis handles the defensive tackle position will be interesting. The Colts like what they’ve seen from Colby Wooden, who played nose tackle for the Packers but looks much quicker and more disruptive as a 3-technique tackle in the Indianapolis defense. Indianapolis typically carries a backup nose tackle for Stewart on the roster, but Wooden’s history could convince Indianapolis to rely on a combination of Wooden, Adebawore and Clemons. Veterans Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery have gotten time with the second team, but the Colts could likely keep a player of that caliber on the practice squad in case something happens to Stewart.
32. Jaylahn Tuimoloau looks quicker in his second season, but the 2025 second-round pick hasn’t been able to translate the athleticism into consistent big plays as a pass rusher in training camp.
33. Rookie defensive end George Gumbs is the epitome of a fastball off the edge. He remains raw as a rusher, and if he plays a role this season, Indianapolis would likely need to put Gumbs in situations where he can come flying off the edge on third down.
34. Caden Curry is an interesting piece. Curry can play both inside and outside, has a knack for getting into the bodies of offensive linemen and offers an ability to play on special teams, potentially making Curry active on game day.
35. Veteran linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither has been a physical presence in the run game in camp, capable of mixing it up in the middle.
36. Jaylon Carlies, the former college safety who lost most of his first two seasons due to injury, looks like the best cover linebacker on the Indianapolis roster. A rangy player, Carlies has good ball skills and can run with tight ends.
37. Rookie middle linebacker CJ Allen might have to wait a little to assume the full starting job. Allen dealt with two separate injuries in training camp and he has played mostly with the second team since returning to practices.
38. Fellow rookie Bryce Boettcher has made his own play for early playing time as a physical presence at the line of scrimmage, but he has also struggled at times in joint practice with speedy receiving options out of the backfield. If Boettcher plays early, he’d likely be better in zone than in man-to-man.
39. Austin Ajiake played a significant role in 2025 as the team’s strong-side linebacker, and he’s once again turned in an impressive camp. Ajiake, who plays the middle, has made plays in the running game and passing game. Undrafted rookies West Weeks and Tahj Chambers both offer versatility on special teams; Chambers, in particular, is a big hitter on defense.
40. If Sauce Gardner is healthy, he looks like he might be the defense’s best player. Gardner’s length, physicality and ball skills have swallowed Colts receivers throughout camp, and he went toe-to-toe with New England’s A.J. Brown and Atlanta’s Drake London in joint practices.
41. Veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward must stay healthy. Ward is dealing with a back injury, but he has looked solid in camp when healthy, a good running mate for Gardner.
42. The Colts expect big things from second-year cornerback Justin Walley, and it’s easy to see why. Walley’s combination of quickness and long speed allow him to play inside and outside, and he has excellent ball skills, leading to pass breakups and interceptions throughout training camp, including a couple of big plays against Atlanta.
43. Cam Taylor-Britt might not be a perfect fit on the outside. His physicality and aggressiveness make him a good fit in the slot, and in Ward’s absence, he has played in the slot with Walley outside to take advantage of both player’s skill sets. If Taylor-Britt is out — he will miss the opener due to a suspension — the next-best option in the slot is likely CFL product Rob Carter Jr. Carter got off to a slow start in training camp, but he has come on the last two weeks, displaying excellent ball skills.
44. Johnathan Edwards has struggled with physicality throughout training camp, earning more flags in coverage than any other Colt. The potential remains there, and he’s made some plays, but when he hasn’t been able to get his hands on people, opposing quarterbacks have taken advantage. Edwards likely has a roster spot; he’s an excellent special teamer, a gunner likely to start opposite Ashton Dulin.
45. Veteran Mekhi Blackmon was essentially a starter for the Colts in 2025, and he had good moments at Grand Park, but New England picked on Blackmon in Foxborough. Fellow veteran Jaylon Jones has limitations from a quickness and speed standpoint, but he also has a hard-nosed approach and makes plays by refusing to give up. Based on the way the Colts have deployed the two during training camp, though, the Colts likely consider Blackmon a better fit.
46. Camryn Bynum is an underrated playmaker, a free safety with excellent ball skills and a knack for navigating traffic at the line of scrimmage.
47. Rookie A.J. Haulcy is still learning how to put his ball skills to use against NFL offenses, but the flashes are there. When Haulcy knows where he’s going, he gets there fast.
48. Hunter Wohler will provide a physical presence in the running game and does a good job closing on routes in short areas. With Wohler and Haulcy available, the Colts will likely use all three safeties in games.
49. Veteran Jonathan Owens has a nose for the football defensively, and he could be a core player on special teams.
50. Finding a way to keep five safeties might be difficult, but Trey Washington has played like a guy who deserves a spot on the 53-man roster. Washington has good ball skills and a knack for finding the football in coverage.
51. Blake Grupe has been far more consistent in training camp, an outcome that likely should have been expected, considering that Spencer Shrader is coming off a torn ACL and MCL. When Shrader is on, he hits gorgeous, high-arcing kicks that offer virtually no chance of a block.
52. Pairing Rigoberto Sanchez with Dulin and Edwards as gunners could make it almost impossible to return a punt against Indianapolis.
53. Luke Rhodes remains automatic. If Rhodes ever deals with an injury, the Colts would likely turn to Caden Curry or Drew Ogletree, who have both taken reps as the team’s emergency long snapper.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 53 thoughts on the Colts’ roster at the end of training camp
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Reporting by Joel A. Erickson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Joel A. Erickson, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
