Even though the Indianapolis Colts have a roster that is bursting with young talent, there are still some areas on both sides of the ball that have a lot to prove during the 2019 season.
Whether the position is filled with unproven talent or it’s simply a lack of depth at a certain spot, the Colts do still have some holes throughout the roster.
Let’s a take a look at the three biggest holes on the Colts’ roster entering training camp:
Wide receiver
After a ghastly performance from the wide receiver corps as a whole in 2018, the Colts set out to add some young talent to the group this offseason. They did so in the form of Devin Funchess and Parris Campbell, both of whom have high ceilings in the offense.
However, the group is still largely unproven. Even with the excitement of some new weapons, the Colts still don’t know what they have beyond T.Y. Hilton.
What will they get out of Funchess? How quickly can Campbell make a significant impact? Have we already seen Chester Rogers’ ceiling? How will Deon Cain respond from his ACL tear?
All of these are questions that won’t be answered until the season actually gets underway and before that happens, wide receiver will remain arguably the biggest hole on the roster.
Pass rush
Another position group in which the Colts made some heavy investments this offseason, the pass rush is undoubtedly the key to defensive success in 2019. Still, the unit has a lot to prove during the upcoming campaign with a lot of high variance potential.
We know Jabaal Sheard will be consistent of the edge. The addition of Justin Houston looks amazing on paper, but we simply don’t know how he will look until the preseason games begin at the earliest—though my prediction is he will be just fine in the attacking front.
Finally, the Colts will be eager to see what they get out of their young pass rushers. 2018 second-round picks Kemoko Turay and Tyquan Lewis have high ceilings but first must get past their injuries, which ruled a majority of their rookie season. How will 2019 second-round pick Ben Banogu influence the pass rush?
The ceiling is extremely high for this unit, but consistency will be the key if improvements are to be made. Until they show that, this will be one of the bigger question marks on the roster.
Strong safety
Malik Hooker is finally coming out of the spring workouts with full health. The outlook is bright at the free safety position. However, questions remain at the position alongside him on the strong side.
Veteran Clayton Geathers—who re-signed this offseason—was held out of the spring workouts after getting a clean-up procedure done on his knee. We aren’t even really sure how involved he will be when training camp begins. And when he comes back, how effective will he be after years of battling injuries?
I wound up really liking the fourth-round of Khari Willis, but there is a chance the Colts ease him into a rotational role to begin with while Matthias Farley comes off of a shortened season and George Odum battles for a roster spot.
While Willis gives some comfort about the direction of the group, there are way too many question marks entering training camp to be fully confident in what the strong safeties will bring to the table in 2019.
