Way too early 2024 Colts 53-man roster prediction

The NFL offseason was full of twists and turns, but with the 2024 NFL Draft behind us, the beginning of the 2024 season has never felt closer.

Soon, rookies will take the field for the first time as members of their respective teams. The Indianapolis Colts' rookie minicamp begins May 10th and runs through May 12th.

And before we see any of these players in action, I decided it's time to make my WAY too early prediction of who will make the Colts' 2024 53-man roster. 

Colts 53-Man Roster Prediction 

QB (3):

1. Anthony Richardson
2. Joe Flacco 
3. Kedon Slovis

The top two QB spots are locks to make the roster, with Anthony Richardson returning from injury to be the team's starter. They chose to bring in veteran Joe Flacco as his backup. After that, it gets a bit tricky. Sam Ehlinger has been the team's third QB for quite some time, and he should be the favorite to land the job. But I found it interesting that the Colts signed two undrafted QB free agents this year, and both seem to have a skill set closer to Richardson's mobility and arm strength than Ehlinger. So my prediction is that either Kedon Slovis or Jason Bean will win the QB 3 job over Ehlinger. I think Slovis' experience with multiple programs gives him the edge.

RB (3): 

1. Jonathan Taylor
2. Trey Sermon
3. Evan Hull

I'm still shocked the Colts chose not to add an RB in the 2024 NFL Draft after losing backup Zack Moss in free agency to the Cincinnati Bengals. But it likely means Jonathan Taylor will return to dominating the snap share in the backfield. After Taylor, I have the Colts keeping Trey Sermon and Evan Hull. Sermon had some nice moments last year when his number was called, and Hull is the best pass catcher in the room. 

WR (6): 

1. Michael Pittman Jr.
2. Josh Downs
3. Alec Pierce
4. Adonai Mitchell 
5. Ashton Dulin
6. Anthony Gould

The WR room seems like one of the most simple positions to predict this year. I think there are six players whose spots on the roster seem like locks as long as they stay healthy. The top four are 100% locks, with Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce being last year's starters. And the team used a premium pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Adonai Mitchell. After that, special teams typically hold significant weight for the final WR spots. Ashton Dulin is a special teams ace, and Anthony Gould seems like a shoo-in for the team's starting kick and punt returner job. 

TE (4):

1. Kylen Granson
2. Jelani Woods
3. Will Mallory
4. Drew Ogletree

TE will be interesting because they have five players for 3 or 4 spots: Kylen Granson, Jelani Woods, Will Mallory, Drew Ogletree, and Mo Alie-Cox. If the young guys can stay healthy, I think keeping those four and releasing veteran Alie-Cox makes the most sense. 

OL (9):

1. Bernhard Raimann
2. Quenton Nelson
3. Ryan Kelly
4. Will Fries
5. Braden Smith
6. Blake Freeland
7. Matt Goncalves
8. Tanor Bortolini 
9. Jake Witt

The Colts are returning all five of last year's starters on the offensive line. And behind them might be the deepest group of reserves they've had in quite some time. There is a lot of young talent with the upside of developing into a future starter. Behind the starters, I have the team keeping four linemen: 2nd year tackles Blake Freeland and Jake Witt, along with rookies Matt Goncalves (As a guard) and Tanor Bortolini (center). 

Edge (5):

1. Laiatu Latu
2. Kwity Paye
3. Samson Ebukam
4. Dayo Odeyingbo
5. Tyquan Lewis

Like WR, I think this group is pretty set in stone unless the team decides to keep more than five edge rushers. Laiatu Latu, Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Tyquan Lewis seem to be locks to make the roster. And they probably find a way to incorporate all five on game days. 

IDL (4): 

1. DeForest Buckner
   
2. Grover Stewart
3. Raekwon Davis
4. Adetomiwa Adebawore

I have the Colts keeping four interior defensive linemen to fill out the defensive line. This is another position where I think there is already a set-in-stone group. If the Colts choose to keep more than four, that fifth spot could be an exciting battle, but DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are the team's clear starters. They also gave a decent contract to Raekwon Davis in free agency to back up Stewart, and 2nd year DT Adetomiwa Adebawore has the highest upside to backup Buckner, along with a couple of the team's edge rushers being able to slide inside as well. This would lead to the team cutting their 7th-round pick, Jonah Laulu, but I think they'd have a decent chance to get him onto the practice squad, where he can continue to develop. 

LB (6) :

1. Zaire Franklin
2. E.J. Speed
3. Segun Olubi
4. Grant Stuard
5. Ronnie Harrison Jr. 
6. Jaylon Carlies

I have the Colts keeping six LBs, their top two being 100% locks with Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed. I think Segun Olubi and Grant Stuard are near-locks with their ability on special teams and Olubi's ability to fill in on defense. Then, I kept two safety converts, Ronnie Harrison Jr. and rookie Jaylon Carlies, to offer the team some upside in coverage at LB. 

CB (6):

1. Kenny Moore II
2. Juju Brents
3. Jaylon Jones
4. Dallis Flowers
5. Darrell Baker Jr. 
6. Micah Abraham 

This exercise has shown me that the team's battles at CB and S might be their most challenging to cut down due to there not being many proven solid depth options on the roster. I think the top four here are locks, with Kenny Moore II as the starting slot and Juju Brents, Jaylon Jones, and Dallis Flowers set to compete for the teams starting outside CB spots. After that group, it gets a little tougher, but I went with Darrell Baker Jr., who opened up as the team's Week 1 starter last year, and rookie Micah Abraham. Abraham's ball skills are evident on his college tape, and he has some flexibility to play in the slot and the outside. 

S (4): 

1. Julian Blackmon 
2. A current Free Agent 
3. Jaylin Simpson 
4. Nick Cross

The safety room only has one lock on the roster at the moment in Julian Blackmon. And I still think there's a strong chance that the team uses some of their remaining salary cap to add a veteran off the free agency market as their starting FS spot. After those two spots, I have the team-keeping rookie Jaylin Simpson, who has the ability to play FS and CB. So keeping him here also allows the team to keep rookie Micah Abraham instead of another safety. The last spot is so close between Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas II, and Daniel Scott. I chose Cross for the final spot due to his upside at both safety positions and the ability to play in the slot at CB if needed. 

ST (3):

1. Matt Gay 
2. Rigoberto Sanchez 
3. Luke Rhodes 

As long as everyone stays healthy, the Colts will return their starting trio in the special teams room. Gay had an up-and-down year last season, but there's no reason to think the team would move off him. Rigoberto Sanchez was back to being his elite self near the end of last season, and Luke Rhodes is viewed as one of the best long-snappers in the NFL.

Most Notable Cuts: 

If these cuts came to fruition there'd be quite a few players that many fans would be shocked to see the team moving off of. Below are the players I'd consider the most notable cuts. 

• Mo-Alie Cox, TE
• Danny Pinter, C
• Sam Ehlinger, QB
• Jonah Laulu, DT (2024 7th round pick)
• Titus Leo, Edge
• Taven Bryan, DT
• Eric Johnson II, DT
• Rodney Thomas II, S
• Daniel Scott, S