Despite suffering a season-ending injury at quarterback, the Indianapolis Colts defied the odds and came just one game short of making the postseason and winning the AFC South.
With a new season coming and training camp just around the corner, what are five of the team’s biggest unanswered questions?
Unanswered Questions Ahead of Indianapolis Colts Training Camp
The Colts enter the 2024 NFL season with higher expectations than a year ago, but still face plenty of questions as they enter training camp.
While their biggest question lies at quarterback, there is still uncertainty at other key positions on offense as they look to challenge the Houston Texans for the AFC South title in 2024.
Can Anthony Richardson Stay Healthy and Break Out This Season?
The most important question of all comes down to the most important position in the sport.
After being taken No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Anthony Richardson’s rookie season only lasted for four games, ending with a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.
In 2024, Richardson will need to stay healthy first and foremost. Besides his season-ending injury, he also suffered minor injuries in each of his starts, including a concussion against the Texans in Week 2. He also suffered a hamstring strain and knee meniscus tear during the 2021 season when he was with the Florida Gators, with the hamstring injury lingering into the 2022 season.
Not only will he need to avoid injury this season, but Richardson will also need to break out if he is going to take the Colts to new heights.
In his four games last year, Richardson threw for a 59.5% completion percentage, 577 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He did, however, also add 25 rushing attempts for 136 yards and four more touchdowns.
Despite his lower completion percentage, Richardson ranked fifth in catchable throw percentage, with 63% of his throws being deemed catchable. He also flashed the ability to make next-level throws to the likes of Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and others.
Among the 27 projected starting QBs returning in 2024, Anthony Richardson ranked 5th in catchable throw% vs pressure in 2023.
Top 5:
Dak – 74.5%
Purdy – 65.4%
Lamar – 65.1%
Carr – 64.2%
AR – 63%Bottom 5:
Bryce – 36.7%
Stafford – 50.7%
Goff – 51.9%
Hurts – 54.9%
Levis – 55% https://t.co/NZjFzuKcX0 pic.twitter.com/zilCp7UgwZ— Jay Robins 🧾mark (@RobinsLucas) July 9, 2024
If everything goes right, Richardson and Indianapolis could be in for a fun season. If they don’t, it seems unlikely the Colts will make the postseason.
Can Jonathan Taylor Return To His 2021 Form?
Star running back Jonathan Taylor suffered an injury-plagued 2023 season, playing in only 10 games and starting seven of them. During those games, he rushed for 741 yards and seven touchdowns on 169 attempts, averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
We know Taylor is capable of playing at an elite level, as evidenced by his 2021 season, the only season he played all 17 games. That year, Taylor led the league with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 332 attempts, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He also caught 40 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns.
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The Colts will also have to depend on Taylor more in the running game this season than in 2023. With Zack Moss, who accounted for 794 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, out the door to the Cincinnati Bengals, the team’s RB depth is lacking.
Currently behind Taylor on the depth chart are Trey Sermon, Evan Hull, Tyler Goodson, and Zavier Scott. Those four combined for 248 yards and zero touchdowns in 2023.
How Much Of An Impact Does Adonai Mitchell Make His Rookie Season?
While most of the Colts’ offseason was spent keeping talent in-house, they did make a few additions, most notably through the 2024 NFL Draft.
One of those was wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who profiles as the team’s second outside receiver opposite Michael Pittman Jr.
The question, though, is how impactful will Mitchell be as a rookie?
Indianapolis entered this offseason needing to add another playmaker to their offense. To the Colts’ benefit, Mitchell surprisingly slipped out of the first round in the 2024 NFL Draft, allowing them to select him as the No. 52 pick.
In his college career, Mitchell spent two seasons with Georgia (2021-22) and one with Texas (2023). In total, he caught 93 passes for 1,405 yards and 18 touchdowns. That includes his best season when he caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns with Texas. He was also a key factor in the team reaching the College Football Playoff, falling just short of a National Championship Game appearance.
However, it isn’t just the stats that make Mitchell eye-popping; it’s his film and measurables.
At the NFL Combine, Mitchell measured in at 6’2, 205 pounds. He also ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash (third best) with a 39.5″ vertical jump (10th best) and 11’4″ broad jump (best). All of that put together created a 9.99 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) score, which ranked fifth out of 3,402 receivers from 1987 to 2024.
In addition to the measurables, Mitchell has shown fluid route running ability, strong hands, and the ability to go up and get the football on contested catch attempts. Oh yeah, he can also just run past someone if push comes to shove.
Texas WR Adonai Mitchell could see a serious rise at the NFL Combine this week. An elite blend of size, speed, and ball tracking make him a dangerous deep threat. Mitchell, who goes by “AD,” had just 1 drop to his name since 2022. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/tZ3EirG2Du
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) February 26, 2024
Recent NFL history has shown that rookie receivers can come in and perform immediately. Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and Garrett Wilson are just a few examples of rookie receivers performing at a high level.
However, until he’s on the field, Mitchell comes with many unknowns and question marks.
Who Will Break Out At Outside Cornerback?
Defensively, the Colts’ biggest weakness was evident: their outside cornerbacks struggled to perform at a high level. As a result, many thought they would target one either through free agency or the draft. That didn’t happen, though.
As of now, the likely starting outside cornerback duo in Indy is JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones — both guys who found their way into the starting lineup during 2023.
There’s also Dallis Flowers and Darrell Baker Jr. returning alongside the addition of rookie Jaylin Simpson.
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The thing is, specifically for Brents and Jones, they were both rookies in 2023. In eight starts, Brents allowed a 65.4% completion percentage, 471 yards, two touchdowns, and a 99.1 opponent passer rating. In 10 starts, Jones allowed a 56.5% completion percentage, 354 yards, five touchdowns, and a 99.8 opponent passer rating.
The Colts will need those two to return to not only the form they played at last season, but even better as sophomore players. They don’t need them struggling, leading to another rotating lineup like what was seen in 2023.
If that happens, the team’s defense could elevate to a new level. If it doesn’t, though, it could be the thing that holds them back all year long.
Can Laiatu Latu Crack the Starting Lineup As a Rookie?
Finally, there’s first-round pick Laiatu Latu out of UCLA.
Despite having the fifth-most sacks in the NFL in 2023 (51), the Colts decided to target a highly sought-after EDGE at the top of the draft rather than a cornerback or offensive player.
UCLA Edge Laiatu Latu is such a nightmare to block.
Technician + explosive hands + red-hot motor. pic.twitter.com/ywbGvNiMkw
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 18, 2023
Latu will definitely play a lot in his first year. The question is whether it will be as a starter, the team’s third EDGE, also known as a designated pass rusher, or possibly even EDGE4.
To do that, Latu would have to beat out two guys: Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam. There will also be competition from third-year Dayo Odeyingbo. All three of Latu’s competitors had over eight sacks in 2023, meaning it won’t be easy.
MORE: Indianapolis Colts Depth Chart
For Paye, he’s a former first-round pick who has totaled 18.5 career sacks, including 8.5 in 2023. Ebukam brings more experience, with 113 games played and 33 sacks in his career, including 9.5 in 2023. Finally, Odeyingbo has totaled 13.5 career sacks, with eight in 2023, all of that coming as the team’s designated pass rusher.
Training camp will be extremely telling for where Latu lands on the depth chart for the regular season.