The Indianapolis Colts brought in a bevy of new faces to the roster this offseason whether it was through free agency or the 2019 NFL Draft.
While it remains to be seen just how much of an impact all of the newcomers will make during the 2019 season, there are a few that stand out as having the chance to make their presence known immediately.
The levels of impact may vary from player to player, but here are six new Colts that have the chance to make an immediate impact:
DE Justin Houston
Of the new faces the Colts have coming in this offseason, Houston is likely the one that is expected to make the biggest impact right away. It hasn’t been made totally clear what type of role he will have right off the bat, but he’s in line to bring some solid production early if he can stay healthy.
The Colts generally like to use their defensive linemen in a rotation where the most time a player is seeing is roughly around the 60-65% range in terms of snaps per game. This could benefit Houston to keep him fresh as will having the role of simply getting after the passer.
The Colts pass rush is still an area that has more questions than answers right now, but Houston can change that in a big way starting from Week 1.
WR Devin Funchess
Even though depth was an issue entering the offseason, the Colts should see some heavy competition at the wide receiver position. Funchess was brought in on a one-year deal hoping he can prove himself worthy of another contract. His situation can likely be viewed in the same light as Eric Ebron’s in 2018.
The Colts are excited about what Funchess can bring to the table. He’s a solid route runner for his size, and his athleticism in and out of his breaks helps him create separation. How the Colts plan on using him for the majority of the time remains to be seen, but he does have the chance to make an impact right away.
Funchess will have his share of competition for a starting role behind T.Y. Hilton, but he has a frame that gives him and advantage to work on the boundary and in the slot.
WR Parris Campbell
The Colts made 10 selections in the 2019 NFL Draft and the one that is gaining the most praise comes in the form of Campbell, who was taken with the No. 59 overall pick. A perfect fit for the offensive scheme, Campbell has a chance to carve out a role early.
Given his game-breaking speed, Campbell has a slight advantage over everyone not named T.Y. Hilton. That speed helps him create yards after the catch, which is an area the Colts desperately need help in during the 2019 season. He will be competing with several wide receivers, but those two aspects of his game separate him from the pack.
How much of an impact Campbell makes during his rookie season remains to be seen, but he has the chance to carve out some type of role early working from the slot.
LB Ben Banogu
How the Colts are looking to use their linebackers remains something of a mystery. With the talent they had in 2018, they opted to run more nickel and dime packages that featured more defensive backs than linebackers. With the addition of Banogu, though, they could be looking to use more of a traditional 4-3 front.
Banogu is expected to work as the SAM backer on early downs and then potentially move to the edge in pass rushing situations at times. The Colts are hoping his extreme athleticism can help him make the transition to linebacker right away to work alongside All-Pro and 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard.
Given his limited pass rushing repertoire, Banogu might only be limited to early-down work at SAM, but he does have a chance to make an immediate impact if he can make the transition smoothly during training camp.
LB Bobby Okereke
The selection of Okereke was a bit of a surprise at the time, but it is being viewed as one of the better selections in the draft for the Colts. With speed, athleticism and length, Okereke could be the answer for the Colts in terms of coverage for the linebacker corps.
Okereke will be competing with Anthony Walker for the MIKE position at linebacker, but his coverage ability and athleticism will give him the advantage on passing downs. This could lead the Colts to give him a role to begin the season working on third downs and obvious passing situations.
Okereke has already drawn some comparisons to Darius Leonard in terms of athleticism and length. Will he produce All-Pro numbers? Probably not. But the Stanford product can make an impact right away for the Colts working in coverage to begin his rookie season.
RB Spencer Ware
As the impact a player can have will vary, Ware makes the list on the contingency that he winds up claiming a role in the backfield that will see him work in short-yardage and goal-line situations. It still isn’t clear, though, the role the Colts had in mind for Ware when they signed him.
Given his size (5’10, 229), Ware has the frame to grind out those physically taxing snaps between the tackles. He’s a solid running back that can make an impact both as a rusher and as a pass catcher, but the Colts are likely keeping him on as a veteran presence in a young backfield while also giving him short-yardage work.
The Colts love their backfield with Marlon Mack leading the way and Nyheim Hines working as the primary pass catcher, but Ware could wind up carving out a role early on, especially if Indy is looking to take some of the load off of Mack during the short-yardage situations.
