The Indianapolis Colts are just a few weeks away from the start of training camp, which is set to officially begin on July 25 at Grand Park in Westfield.
There will be several players to keep an eye on during the two-plus weeks of training camp—including some rookies who could make some unexpected noise.
Here are four rookies who could surprise at training camp:
LB E.J. Speed
A fifth-round pick for the Colts in 2019 draft, Speed was largely unknown when the selection was made. Coming out of Division II program Tarleton State, the linebacker will be competing for a depth role in the middle of the defense.
The Colts have been envisioning Speed working behind Darius Leonard as the WILL linebacker. He saw some work there early in the spring but saw less time as the workouts progressed.
This isn’t to say that Speed will surprise everyone and claim a starting role. However, the Colts really like his traits being an athletic, big and fast linebacker to work in their system.
WR Ashton Dulin
One of the top undrafted free agents that joined the Colts, Dulin will be competing in a very crowded wide receiver room that likely won’t have enough room to keep all of the talent competing for roles.
Dulin will be fighting for one of the final spots in the wide receiver room and while there might be some players more talented, Dulin’s athleticism is something the Colts might want to keep around.
Even if that means keeping him on the practice squad, don’t be surprised if Dulin makes some noise.
CB Marvell Tell III
The Colts picked former USC safety Tell with the thoughts of moving him to the cornerback position to best use his length and athleticism on the boundary.
Tell is certainly a project for the Colts, but he has immense upside. He’s fighting for one of the depth roles in the secondary, and if he can prove to be a contributor on special teams—specifically as a gunner—he could easily come out of training camp as a winner.
He didn’t make a ton of noise during the spring, but he has a chance to surprise a lot of people training camp.
DT Sterling Shippy
Another undrafted free agent to keep an eye on, Shippy will be competing in the defensive line room—which will have several spots up for grabs as reserve roles.
Shippy put up some impressive numbers during the pre-draft process but failed to get selected. However, he’s still an intriguing rookie given his strength and speed off the line.
Shippy will have plenty of competition to go against during training camp, but don’t be surprised if his name is called a few times throughout the two-plus weeks.
