The excitement is almost tangible as the Indianapolis Colts are set to begin training camp, opening officially on Thursday at Grand Park in Westfield.
With the season quickly nearing, the Colts have been one of the teams talked about mostly in a positive manner. A bright future outlook with the potential to compete fiercely in 2019 has Indy listed as one of the top teams in the league.
That notion is certainly held by Nate Davis of USA TODAY, who ranked the Colts as the seventh-best team in his pre-training camp power rankings.
7. Indianapolis Colts (4): Aside from Mahomes, no one threw more TDs than Andrew Luck (39) last season. Expect him to get some easy ones this year from fleet rookie Parris Campbell.
The teams ranked ahead of the Colts in this list are as follows:
- New England Patriots
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New Orleans Saints
- Minnesota Vikings
With Luck returning fully healthy and coming off of his most efficient season, the offense should be in good hands yet again. This is especially true when considering the return of a stout offensive line, some new additions to the receiving corps and Frank Reich’s offense diving deeper in Year 2.
The biggest variable for the Colts in 2019 will be the defense. Undoubtedly the deepest it has been this decade, the young group will have a lot to prove after an offseason that emphasized that side of the ball greatly.
With new faces like defensive end Justin Houston to go along with second-round picks Ben Banogu and Rock Ya-Sin, the unit appears to have a solid blend of experience and youthful talent.
How far the Colts will go remains to be seen, but they will at least begin the season with some of the highest expectations in the NFL.
