Aziz’s 53-man depth chart prediction

WESTFIELD, INDIANA - AUGUST 19: Head coach Shane Steichen of the Indianapolis Colts looks on during the joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons at Grand Park Sports Campus on August 19, 2026 in Westfield, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images Offense (25) Quarterback (3)

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What is the story about?

Offense (25)

Quarterback (3) – Daniel Jones | Anthony Richardson | Riley Leonard

Running Back (3)

– Jonathan Taylor | DJ Giddens | Seth McGowan

Tight Ends (4) – Tyler Warrren | Mo Alie-Cox | Drew Ogletree | Will Mallory

The offense

is fairly straightforward, with the biggest decision already made by the Colts themselves. Indianapolis has said it plans to keep three quarterbacks, and after the way Ed Dodds has publicly vouched for Anthony Richardson, it does not sound like he is going anywhere. Daniel Jones is the starter, Richardson remains on the roster, and Riley Leonard sticks as the developmental option. At running back, Jonathan Taylor is obviously locked in as RB1, while DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan have both done enough in camp to make the roster and potentially split the backup work. That battle should continue into the season, especially if the Colts are serious about taking some of the load off Taylor.

Receiver also feels like a six-man group. Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Keenan Allen should all have significant offensive roles, while Ashton Dulin and Anthony Gould bring clear special teams impact. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine gets the final spot because of his veteran presence and ability to serve as the true WR4 if the offense needs him. Tight end is another spot where the Colts could go heavier than usual, especially with the expected increase in 12 personnel. Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory all bring enough value to justify keeping four. On the offensive line, nine feels like the right number. Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves and Jalen Travis are the projected starters, while Blake Freeland gives them an experienced swing tackle, Jalen Farmer is the young rookie guard, and Josh Sills and Dalton Tucker round out the interior depth after working with the second-team group against the Patriots.

Defense (25)

Linebackers (5) – CJ Allen | Akeem Davies Gaither | Austin Ajiake | Bryce Boettcher | Jaylon Carlies

Safeties (4) – Cam Bynum | AJ Haulcy | Jonathan Owens | Hunter Woehler

Ten defensive linemen may sound like a lot, but this is one of the deepest and most talented groups on the roster, so it makes sense for the Colts to go heavy here. Laiatu Latu, DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are returning impact players, while Arden Key, Colby Wooden and Michael Clemons give the front several new veteran additions. Adetomiwa Adebawore and JT Tuimoloau have played well enough to feel safe, and Caden Curry has helped himself with a strong camp and preseason. George Gumbs Jr. is probably the one closest to the cut line, but for now, the depth and upside along the defensive line make him worth keeping.

Linebacker is thinner but still fairly clear. CJ Allen and Akeem Davis-Gaither look like the probable starters, while Austin Ajiake has played a lot with the second-team defense and appears to be in good position. Bryce Boettcher helped himself with a strong showing against New England and could work his way toward a starting role at some point this season, while Jaylon Carlies gets the final spot because he played well in the preseason opener and brings special teams value. At cornerback, Cam Taylor-Britt’s Week 1 suspension changes the math because he will not count toward the initial roster, meaning someone else can stick for now before a later decision has to be made. Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward and Justin Walley are the starters and obvious locks, Mekhi Blackmon is safe because of his veteran experience, and Jaylon Jones’ experience with the Colts bring a lot of value. Justin Edwards is right on the cut line after struggling at corner in the first preseason game, but his special teams value keeps him in for now, with Taylor-Britt’s return likely putting him in the most danger. At safety, the Colts keep four true safeties with Cam Bynum, AJ Haulcy, Jonathan Owens and Hunter Woehler, and this seems to be the position that might get a real chop so that others can thrive.

Special Teams (3)

Kicker – Blake Grupe

Punter – Rigoberto Sanchez

Long Snapper – Luke Rhodes

The specialist group is simple outside of kicker. Rigoberto Sanchez and Luke Rhodes are locks, while the kicking battle remains extremely close. I lean toward Blake Grupe for now because of his consistency in training camp and because he may be the harder player to sneak through waivers if the Colts want to keep both kickers in the building. Spencer Shrader still has a legitimate case, and this feels close to a true 50/50 battle, but Grupe gets the slight edge in this projection. If the Colts can keep Shrader on the practice squad, that would be the ideal outcome, although there is always some risk when exposing a kicker with NFL ability.

Practice Squad Candidates

Easton Stick

Anderson Castle

Coleman Owen

Deion Burks

Pharoah Brown

Luke Tenuta

Jimmy Morrissey

Derrick Nnadi

Jerry Tillery

West Weeks

Robert Carter Jr