Seth McGowan arrived in Indianapolis as a seventh-round pick, which usually means expectations are low and the path to a role is narrow from the beginning. Late-round running backs do not get much handed to them, especially when the starter is Jonathan Taylor and the offense already knows where its identity begins. McGowan was never going to walk into training camp with a job waiting for him, but running back is also one of the few positions where a late-round player can climb quickly if the style,
physicality and gamestyle translate.
The Colts do not have a settled backup behind Taylor, and McGowan has already started building a case that he deserves to be part of that conversation. He led Kentucky with 725 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and the early camp buzz has centered on the way he runs: decisive, physical and willing to finish through contact. Shane Steichen summed up the appeal pretty clearly, saying McGowan is “not scared of contact,” which is exactly the kind of trait coaches want to see from a rookie back trying to earn trust.
McGowan’s profile is not hard to understand. He is a bigger back who can get downhill and run behind his pads, but he is not just a short-yardage grinder. There is enough burst to win outside when the lane is there, which matters because the Colts do not need a backup who only gives them predictable carries between the tackles. They need someone who can keep the offense functional when Taylor is off the field, whether that means hammering inside runs, pressing the edge or making enough happen on his own when the blocking is not perfect.
That is where the battle with DJ Giddens becomes important. Giddens, a 2025 fifth-round pick, has a similar general profile and came into the league with a tad more draft investment behind him, but he did very little last season and has not done enough to lock down the RB2 job. If McGowan looks more decisive, more physical or more explosive through camp and the preseason, the fact that he was picked in the seventh round will not hold him back.
Jonathan Taylor’s comments about McGowan are also telling. Taylor reportedly compared him to David Montgomery, which does not mean McGowan is about to become Montgomery or that the Colts have already found a future starter. It does, however, give a pretty clear idea of what stands out. Montgomery has built a strong NFL career by being tough, decisive and difficult to bring down cleanly. He is not the flashiest back in the league, but he runs with conviction, finishes plays and consistently gets more than what is blocked. If Taylor sees even some of that in McGowan, it explains why the rookie is already getting attention.
The timing matters too. Taylor is still the engine of the Colts’ offense, but he is entering the final year of his contract and has dealt with injuries in past seasons. The team has also talked about finding ways to take some of the workload off him, which only works if another running back earns real trust. The backup job is not just a roster footnote this year. It could mean six to eight touches a game, more work if Taylor misses time, and a much larger role next season if the Colts and Taylor do not work out another deal.
That does not mean McGowan should be treated like the obvious future at running back before he has played an NFL game. He still has to prove the parts of the position that decide whether young backs actually get on the field, especially pass protection, ball security, consistency and special teams value. Running hard is a great starting point, but coaches need to know a rookie will not get the quarterback hit, catch a pass if needed or put the ball on the ground.
The Colts need a real backup behind Taylor, Giddens has not separated himself, and McGowan has the kind of physical style that can show up quickly once the pads come on. He does not need to become the future starter right now. He just needs to prove he is too useful to ignore, and on a roster without a clear No. 2 back, that may be enough to make him one of the more interesting young players in Colts camp.
