The Indianapolis Colts have an exciting group of rookies that have just been added to the roster, but there are a number of players looking to make a significant jump following their first season in the NFL.
Coming off of one of their best draft classes in 2018, the Colts were able to get two All-Pros. Outside of that, though, they were also able to find contributors on both sides of the ball. Getting these players to continue their development is essential to sustained success in the coming years.
Here are five Colts looking to make a jump in Year 2:
DE Kemoko Turay
As one of the four second-round picks in the 2018 draft, Turay quickly carved out a role on the defensive line grabbing two sacks in the first four games of the year. However, injuries kept him from consistently contributing to the pass rush.
Using his speed and athleticism off the edge, it is easy to see why the Colts like what Turay can potentially bring to the pass rush. The Rutgers product finished the season playing 14 games and recording 4.0 sacks.
The Colts signed Justin Houston in free agency, but the Colts are hoping Turay can continue to develop into a starter in the defensive line rotation while making an impact against the passer.
LB Matthew Adams
Adams and fellow seventh-round linebacker Zaire Franklin will be battling in a position room that will look much different than their rookie seasons. With the addition of three draft picks in the 2019 draft, Adams will be looking to compete for a role as a SAM backer.
Adams wound up carving out that kind of role during the final few games of the regular season. He started the season as a special teams contributor and finished it as a starter in the middle of the defense. It won’t be an easy task competing with Ben Banogu for the SAM role, but a second-year jump will help him in that manner.
Adams has athleticism the Colts like, and he showed some promise down the stretch in 2018. How much he can show development in Year 2 will be crucial to the type of role he claims in the middle of the defense.
WR Deon Cain
Cain enters his second season as a default even though he technically didn’t have a rookie campaign. A torn ACL in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks kept Cain from making good on the hype train that was rolling during training camp.
Of all the second-year Colts, Cain might have the most to prove. He fell to the sixth round due to character concerns and then missed his entire rookie season without the chance to prove himself. Now, he enters a wide receiver room that will be under heavy competition after the additions of Devin Funchess and Parris Campbell in free agency and the draft, respectively.
Technically, we don’t know where Cain will be jumping from in his second year, but he will have plenty to prove in showing his ACL injury is simply a part of his past.
RB Jordan Wilkins
The Colts backfield will be an interesting unit as they have four players capable of carrying massive roles all on their own. Wilkins is one of them, though it remains to be seen how big his role will be when the rosters are cut down to 53 players.
He should still be expected to make the roster but with the addition of Spencer Ware, does that make him the healthy scratch on game day? The Ole Miss product was efficient in a limited role showing great balance and vision from the backfield.
However, it appears the backfield is Marlon Mack’s to lose while Nyheim Hines has the pass-catching role. Making that Year 2 jump could help Wilkins prove to the coaching staff that he deserves a bigger role while competing with Ware.
DL Tyquan Lewis
The Colts are hoping for big things from Lewis in his second year. A second-year jump for the Ohio State product would help the pass rush greatly as he works both from the defensive end position and the three-technique on the interior.
Lewis missed the entire first half of his rookie season due to a toe injury that landed him on the injured reserve list. However, he showed plenty of promise working all over the defensive line during the second half starting six of the final eight games before suffering a knee injury in the regular season finale, which caused him to miss the playoffs.
An athletic defensive lineman, Lewis has a lot of upside to be a productive pass rusher, which is what the Colts are hoping for in his second season.
