Josh Edwards of CBS Sports selected the biggest roster holes and question marks for each NFL team heading into training camp. His pick for the Indianapolis Colts wasn’t surprising either.
It was the linebacker spot.
Edwards also mentioned the uncertainty at wide receiver with the starting job next to Alec Pierce and Josh Downs up for grabs, but linebacker is the obvious choice.
The pass-rush depth around Laiatu Latu could also be up for consideration.
“Green Bay traded for Indianapolis’ most productive linebacker (Zaire Franklin) and the position had already been a point of weakness,” Edwards wrote.
After the season, GM Chris Ballard mentioned that he wanted to get younger and faster on defense. Apparently, that applied directly to the linebacker unit, which experienced heavy turnover.
Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt, who led the Colts in snaps in 2025, are no longer on the team. Instead, the team signed Akeem Davis-Gaither in free agency and then drafted CJ Allen in Round 2 and Bryce Boettcher in Round 4.
The big question mark at this position lies with the overall inexperience. Allen and Boettcher are rookies, while Jaylon Carlies has played a little over 200 career snaps, most of which came in 2024. These three saw snaps with the starters during offseason programs.
Davis-Gaither did as well, and he is the most experienced of the group as he enters Year 7, which includes playing several seasons under Lou Anarumo in Cincinnati. That said, he’s made a modest 24 starts over his career and has yet to establish himself as a must-start player at the position.
Anarumo’s disguise-heavy scheme can perhaps give the linebacker unit a boost, not to mention that this position group will be surrounded by what should be a high-end secondary.
But until we see the Colts’ defense and these linebackers take the field, question marks will linger.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL analyst identifies Colts’ biggest roster hole entering training camp
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
