3 Colts players entering massive prove-it years in 2024

Training Camp is right around the corner for the Indianapolis Colts.

The team's veterans and rookies are set to report on July 24th . For a lot of players Training Camp is the chance to cement their place with the team for the upcoming season.

But there are three players especially who need a strong Training Camp and big seasons in order to remain a part of the team's future plans.

3 Colts who need big seasons

Nick Cross, safety

The Colts' decision to not add a veteran free agent this offseason for their starting FS spot to Julian Blackmon at SS was beyond shocking. But it opens the door for one of the team's young players to potentially step up and take the job for themselves. The team saw plenty of Rodney Thomas II in that role last year, and it was lackluster, to say the least. But the team's 2022 third-round pick, Nick Cross, is still a bit of a mystery.

Cross has appeared in 33 games during his first two seasons but has only started four games. His elite athleticism and apparent ball skills in college should help him at FS, but he hasn't been able to show enough in practice to be given the job so far in his career. This season feels like an actual make-or-break year for the young safety. This is likely his last chance to earn a starting job with the Colts and to be frank; his roster spot isn't safe either if he can't win the job.

Dayo Odeyingbo, edge rusher

Dayo Odeyingbo is in a very different situation than Cross. He is coming off a career year with him, setting new career highs across the board with eight sacks, 38 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 17 QB hits. But during the offseason, the Colts drafted Laiaut Latu with their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and picked up the fifth-year option on Kwity Paye.

This leaves Odeyingbo's role with the team in question going forward, with him set to become a free agent after the 2024 season. The team will likely have to choose just one of Odeyingbo and Samson Ebukam to extend, with both players' contracts set to expire. He will have the chance to win a starting edge job during training camp, and with Latu expected to eat into last year's snap counts, he has to do everything in his power to prove he needs to be on the field no matter what.

Jelani Woods, Tight End

Jelani Woods missed his entire sophomore season due to a lingering hamstring injury. The team didn't even get to see him at all during last year's Training Camp. This means Woods hasn't been able to show what he can do on the field to the team's new offensive coaching staff under head coach Shane Steichen. The team's TE room is projected to be one of the toughest battles on the entire roster during Training Camp. And Woods' roster spot is far from safe.

He needs to show that he not only has a high ceiling but that he can produce in the passing game this year. If he is able to put together a strong training camp, not only will his roster spot become safe, but he could also earn a starting job at TE. And who knows, he could even become one of Anthony Ricahredson's favorite targets in the Colts offense. But if he comes into Training Camp and can't separate himself from the pack, the exciting TE's time with the Colts could come to an end before it even has a real chance to begin.

Related: Three under-the-radar Colts players to watch during Training Camp

Related: Colts edge rusher Kwity Paye has big goals for himself in 2024