The Indianapolis Colts are set to host the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium for a preseason Week 2 matchup on Saturday night.
The nationally-televised bout will air on NFL Network, giving us a close look at the intense position battles taking place since the start of training camp.
With training camp officially over, the preseason games will give players the best chance to either win the battle for a significant role or earn themselves a roster spot.
Here are six position battles to watch as the Colts host the Bears for the preseason Week 2 matchup:
1
Running Back
Not much has been made in terms of excitement out of the backfield during training camp. It has been mostly a lackluster showing without Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss, both of which are rehabbing injuries. As it stands, Deon Jackson has been the best of the bunch, consistently grinding out yards both in preseason and during training camp practices.
Rookie Evan Hull is likely next on the list as he’s shown some prowess as a receiving back. Meanwhile, Kenyan Drake, Jake Funk and Jason Huntley will look to make some progress in the position battle on Saturday.
2
No. 5 Wide Receiver
Entering the second preseason game, there are essentially four wide receiver spots locked in. With Ashton Dulin going down with a torn ACL during the joint practices with the Bears, a relatively significant role has opened up in the wide receiver room.
Mike Strachan has been having a strong camp but left Thursday’s practice with an injury. It’s not clear how serious it is. The next players in line competing for roles will be Breshad Perriman, Amari Rodgers, Tyler Adams, Juwann Winfree and Malik Turner.
3
Cornerback
The entire cornerback room is in competition as training camp comes to a close. Excluding Kenny Moore II, whose role is solidified, there is a massive competition that features mostly young players. Second-year undrafted free agents Darrell Baker Jr. and Dallis Flowers currently lead the way for the starting roles on the boundary.
However, they will have plenty of competition from rookies Julius Brents, Darius Rush and Jaylon Jones, all three of which have flashed upside throughout camp and the preseason opener.
4
Right guard
Though the job has solely belonged to Will Fries up through the final week of training camp, the third-year guard is dealing with a calf injury that may hold him out of Saturday’s game. This has given Arlington Hambright the chance to work with the first-team offense at right guard. He’s had a very strong camp working as the second-team left tackle but now could force his way into competition with Fries if he plays well enough.
5
Tight End
We haven’t gotten much of a look at the starting tight ends considering the top of the depth chart has dealt with injuries for the majority of camp. However, we will get to see the debut of rookie Will Mallory, who is competing for the final roster spot in the room. It’s unlikely we see Jelani Woods (hamstring), Mo Alie-Cox (ankle) or Andrew Ogletree (shoulder) on Saturday so we should get a heavy dose of the rookie.
6
Defensive Tackle
The depth at defensive tackle is going through plenty of competition. Behind DeForest Buckner, the group is led by Taven Bryan. Also in the mix for a depth role at the three-technique will be rookie Adetomiwa Adebawore and McTelvin Agim.
