The Indianapolis Colts are boasting more depth on paper than they have in recent memory. While most of the draft picks selected in April will have to fight and claw for roles, there are still several position battles to keep an eye on entering the 2020 season.
For the most part, the Colts have most of the roles locked down. There will be competition throughout the roster, but some players are truly in danger of losing their jobs at their respective positions.
Whether it’s because of an incoming rookie or simply a tight position battle, here are four Colts in danger of losing their jobs in 2020:
RB Marlon Mack
You already knew Mack would be on this list. Though he showed the Colts he could be an effective runner by running for a career-high 1,091 yards in 2019, the front office wanted to get more explosive. What better way to do so than to trade up for one of the most productive backs in college football history.
Mack will be joined by rookie Jonathan Taylor—a 5-foot-10, 226-pound back with 4.39 speed and the fourth-most rushing yards in college football history. It will be a shared backfield featuring the duo as a 1-2 punch, but there is a real chance Taylor takes over the lead role at some point in 2020.
That doesn’t mean the entire backfield will be his. Mack will certainly get his share of work, especially considering he’s in a contract year. What better reason to run Mack into the ground?
But even with that, Mack isn’t going to average the 17 carries per game he enjoyed over the last two seasons. He will absolutely be involved, but don’t be surprised if Taylor winds up being the leader of the 1-2 punch by season’s end.
LB Anthony Walker
Another player entering a contract year, Walker is an interesting case. He’s a strong leader at the MIKE position in the middle of the defense. He’s a solid run defender and while he has coverage limitations, he’s done well since taking over as the starter in 2018. But entering a contract year, he has some strong competition.
The Colts spent a third-round pick on Bobby Okereke in 2019. He showed a lot of promise during his rookie campaign and his second-half numbers show he gained more trust with the coaching staff. Seeing as he’s more the typical linebacker to have success in the Colts’ defensive scheme, Okereke could emerge as a starter at some point in the season.
Walker has proven to be an excellent communicator, leader and run defender for the Colts. He isn’t going to give away the job all that easily. But Okereke is a better athlete, has more range and more upside in coverage than Walker.
His 2020 season will be an interesting one, but Walker is going to have to fight to keep Okereke from stealing his starting role.
DT Tyquan Lewis
Even before the Colts acquired defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in the trade with the 49ers, Lewis was on thin ice. The former second-round pick has done close to nothing since being drafted. He’s dealt with injuries and inconsistent play since arriving in Indy.
Now, Lewis will be fighting not only for a role on the interior defensive line, but also a roster spot. The Ohio State product is already down on the depth chart at the three-technique behind Buckner and Denico Autry. He’s in the battle for the fifth defensive tackle spot, but now has competition from sixth-round pick Robert Windsor.
While that might seem like nothing for a player drafted in the second round and one the Colts were extremely high on when picking him, his two seasons as a pro have shown little to no value in return. He’s played in 17 games since being drafted and hasn’t made a start since his rookie season.
Lewis will be on the roster bubble entering training camp and the preseason and will be one to keep an eye on as the 2020 season approaches.
CB T.J. Carrie
One of the biggest reasons the Colts feel their defense struggled during the final quarter of the 2019 season was because they didn’t have depth in the slot behind starter Kenny Moore. After going down with an ankle injury, Moore wasn’t able to play in the final five games of the campaign.
So as the Colts were making changes to their cornerback room, they made one to bring in a versatile veteran in Carrie, who can play both inside and on the boundary. Carrie will be competing for the depth slot role in the secondary but has some intriguing competition in rookie Isaiah Rodgers.
The sixth-round pick out of UMass has reported 4.28 speed with strong ball skills and plenty of experience on special teams. That screams depth role in the secondary, especially as a rookie.
Carrie and Rodgers will have one of the low-key battles to watch whenever the Colts are able to return for workouts. Though he has the veteran experience, Carrie could be in danger of losing his role as the backup slot defender.
