The Indianapolis Colts have a strong young core of players on both sides of the ball entering the 2020 but some of them have barely begun to scratch the surface of their talents.
Sometimes it takes certain players a bit longer to break out—a term that has varying definitions. The Colts have several players beginning to gain recognition on a national scale, but there are some waiting in the wings to produce more than expected in 2020.
Without including rookies (because they shouldn’t be considered here anyway), here are five Colts who enter the 2020 season as breakout candidates:
Braden Smith | Nyheim Hines | Ben Banogu | Bobby Okereke | Grover Stewart
Braden Smith | RT | Age: 24
The Colts have several players who fall under the umbrella term of “underrated.” Smith might be the player that leads the list for the Colts. Because it can be difficult to quantify offensive line play, very few of them are considered breakout candidates year to year.
But this could very well be the year that Smith finally gains the recognition he deserves as one of the best up and coming right tackles in the game. The league has had two seasons to sleep on the Auburn product, but it’s time to wake up.
Entering his third season, Smith has been manning the right tackle spot for the Colts since filling in as a spot starter during that ghastly prime-time game in Week 5 against the New England Patriots during the 2018 season. Though he was drafted as a guard, the Colts believed he could succeed on the edge.
He’s done so wonderfully over the last season and a half and continues to be on the asencion at the position. Though he is listed as giving up seven sacks in 2019, per Pro Football Focus, that isn’t totally indicative of his consistent work on the edge. Both as a pass protector and run blocker, Smith has been a strong asset for the Colts.
With his game maturing in aspects of consistency with his pass sets and moving people in the run game, 2020 might be the season he finally takes that next tier jump among right tackles in the league.
Nyheim Hines | RB | Age: 23
There has been much talk this offseason in regards to which Colts players benefit the most from the addition of quarterback Philip Rivers. While the wide receiver corps and tight end room definitely see a bump, a particular running back is likely to see his role and production expanded in 2020.
Given that he is the best pass-catcher in the backfield and the fact that he possesses an intriguing blend of speed and elusiveness, Hines is primed for a breakout. The addition of Rivers should help the passing offense in a big way, but Hines being the primary pass-catching back will benefit him greatly.
Rivers has always had a knack for targeting the running back position, regardless of who is in the backfield. This gives us a sense that it wasn’t a product of the players he had but more a true tendency in his game plan.
Hines has the ninth-most targets (139) and eighth-most receptions (107) among all running backs over the last two seasons. Now, he gets a quarterback who has historically targeted the running back position well above average.
Ben Banogu | DE | Age: 24
With the departure of veteran defensive end Jabaal Sheard in free agency, it was expected the Colts would add to the edge of their defensive line in some way during the offseason. Maybe it wouldn’t come in the form of a big piece, but the Colts were still expected to do so in some manner.
However, free agency came and went. The draft came and went. And the Colts didn’t add anything of import to the defensive end room. While he won’t be a starter right off the bat, Banogu has a strong chance to break out in Year 2 after a limited rookie campaign.
The Colts used Banogu sparingly during his first season, but now they will need him to step up in a bigger role. With Justin Houston and Kemoko Turay at the top of the depth chart on the edge, Banogu has a chance to be the third defensive end in the rotation.
Given how much the Colts like to rotate their defensive line players, Banogu could be in for a much larger workload for his second season. With the opportunity to meet his athleticism and bend off the edge, a breakout is waiting to happen.
Bobby Okereke | LB | Age: 23
The Colts have a solid linebacker corps for the first time in what seems like forever. They have their starting duo in Darius Leonard and Anthony Walker Jr., but many are expecting a breakout campaign from the second-year backer in Okereke.
The third-round pick in the 2019 draft has a great opportunity to see more work in Year 2. There’s even a chance he takes over the starting MIKE role from Walker Jr., who is in a contract year. He saw consistent playing time during the second half of his rookie season and will be looking to build on that in 2020.
Okereke fits the Colts’ defense better than Walker Jr. does. The latter is limited in coverage and athletically but makes up for it with communication skills and run defense. Okereke is a better fit given his range, length and coverage skills.
There will be an interesting battle between these two linebackers, both of which are capable of manning the MIKE role in a defense. But don’t be surprised if Okereke winds up emerging as the starter in Year 2.
Grover Stewart | DT | Age: 26
Stewart will be entering his age-27 season and the final year of his rookie deal in 2020. After two seasons working mostly in a limited fashion on the interior defensive line, Stewart got more work during his third campaign and proved to be a viable starter.
Now holding the starting role at the one-technique, Stewart will be lining up next to DeForest Buckner, who will be commanding most of the attention on the defensive line. Stewart proved in 2019 he can be a strong run-defending asset in the A gap.
He even showed a little juice as a pass rusher, applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks 22 times in 2019, per Pro Football Focus. Taking over as the starter, Stewart should see plenty more opportunities to work against the run.
The Colts have a solid defensive interior with Buckner leading the way but if they want to be a complete unit, Stewart has to step up. With his game maturing and the opportunity there for the taking, the Albany State product is a prime candidate to break out in Year 4.
