With the Indianapolis Colts wrapping up their second week of OTAs, let’s put together a projection of what the starting defense could look like come Week 1.
To see our starting offense projection, you can find that here.
As we mentioned in Part I of this series, while what happens during OTAs certainly won’t solely dictate playing time or who earns roster spots, these practices do provide us with some insight into where things stand on the depth chart, along with who may be standing out early on.
So, taking what we’ve heard over the last two weeks into account, here is how the Colts defense might look against Baltimore.
Defensive line: Laiatu Latu, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Jaylahn Tuimoloau
The one question here is who will be starting opposite of Latu? That battle is likely between Tuimoloau and Arden Key. Originally, I had Key as a starter, but defensive line coach Marion Hobby is “expecting” a big jump from Tuimoloau in Year 2. So I’ll put him and his upside in that starting spot.
Linebacker: CJ Allen, Akeem Davis-Gaither
Allen will be playing the MIKE linebacker position. What perhaps still has to be determined is if he will wear the green dot — although he is likely the favorite to do so. The spot next to him could turn into a position battle, but I’ll choose Davis-Gaither and his experience in Lou Anarumo’s defense over Bryce Boetter or any other linebacker.
Cornerback: Sauce Gardner, Justin Walley, Charvarius Ward
No questions here. This is the Colts’ starting cornerback trio, and it should be a very good one.
Safety: Cam Bynum, AJ Haulcy
Haulcy still has to earn the starting role next to Cam Bynum, but his presence has the ability to elevate the ceiling of the Colts’ defense, which I’ll guess gives him the edge over Jonathan Owens, Juanyeh Thomas, and Hunter Wohler. Haulcy brings strong ball production to the Indianapolis secondary, and his versatility provides Lou Anarumo with flexibility as he builds out game plans and how he utilizes Bynum.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Predicting Colts’ starting defense after 2 weeks of OTA practices
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
