5 Things to Watch for Indianapolis Colts in First Preseason Game

The 2024 NFL preseason is just a few days away, and the Indianapolis Colts will play their first game against the Denver Broncos.

The Colts will be looking to get off to a better start this year, as they will have quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor fully healthy.

Even without Richardson for the majority of the season and missing Taylor for seven games, the Colts finished just one win away from making it to the playoffs.

But before they can start their journey for the upcoming season, let us take a look at a few things to watch out for from their first preseason game against the Broncos.

How will the Colts’ running back depth look?

The Colts’ running game goes through Taylor, who is one of the best running backs in the game today. Even after coming back from an injury after missing the first seven games last year, Taylor was still extremely effective.

The concern for the Colts, however, is the depth chart at the position. Next up on the depth chart are Trey Sermon, Tyler Goodson, and second-year back Evan Hull. There is a considerable lack of experience within this group, but somebody will have to step up.

Monitoring the backfield for the Colts in their first preseason game will be one of the essential factors.

How will Laiatu Latu perform?

The Colts’ first-round pick in this year’s draft was defensive end Laiatu Latu. Not only did the Colts select the first defensive player off the board at No. 15, but they also selected arguably the best pass rusher of the draft class.

Latu’s development will be monitored very closely, as he is primed to raise the Colts’ already extraordinary pass rush to greater heights. Moreover, Indianapolis has lost top defensive end Samson Ebukam for the 2024 season due to a torn Achilles tendon, which means Latu would need to be up to the task from the get-go.

How will the tight end position shake out?

The tight end battle will be one to watch in the first preseason game for the Colts. Indianapolis doesn’t seem to have any one standout tight end, and the competition for the starting position looks like it’s headed down to the wire.

At the moment, either Kylen Granson or Jelani Woods are the best bets to be named the starter, but it looks like the preseason performances will be the deciding factor here.

Will Alec Pierce show signs of growth?

Looking at the wide receiver unit for the Colts, they have a solid WR1 and WR2 in Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs. Pittman Jr. continues to excel for the Colts while Downs had a tremendous rookie year last season, finishing second-highest on the team for receiving yards.

Unfortunately, though, Alec Pierce, who is entering his third season in the league, has not had much impact for Indy. This year things could be different for him, as he is considered to be a deep ball threat and would get help from the strong arm of Richardson. However, whether he has progressed in his overall play will be witnessed in his preseason games.

Which Colts safety will step up?

One of the major concerns for Indy is their free safety position. While Julian Blackmon is a sure starter at strong safety, the question of who will be playing alongside him is still up for debate. Last year, the Colts struggled to get a high-level play from their secondary.

Indianapolis had the chance to select a top safety in the draft, but they passed for Latu. Now, the best options they have are third-year players Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II. The young secondary is inexperienced, and if that shows in the preseason game, perhaps the Colts may consider signing a veteran at the position.

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