Colts final 53-man roster projection: Anthony Richardson era begins, but what about Jonathan Taylor?

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts aren’t describing themselves as a rebuilding team, given the fact much of their veteran personnel returns in 2023.

But a deeper look at the Colts’ roster tells a different story. Beyond those top-level players, the core of this team’s roster has undergone significant changes. And that’s had a noticeable impact on the Colts’ depth.

That’s the big takeaway after closely scrutinizing with final roster cuts approaching. How will that impact the Colts’ fortunes this season? And what happens if injuries take hold and that depth is tested?

The biggest change, of course, comes at quarterback. Anthony Richardson takes over after being selected fourth overall. But what about the rest of the team?

The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection for the Colts:

QUARTERBACK (3): Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew, Sam Ehlinger

The Colts don’t necessarily need three quarterbacks, but Ehlinger is on his rookie deal through 2024. No harm in keeping him around in case the Colts become convinced he could be their long-term backup. Minshew is on a one-year contract, so the No. 2 spot will be in flux after this season.

RUNNING BACK (4): Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss, Deon Jackson, Evan Hull

Lots of dominoes could still fall here given the Taylor situation. The Colts have finally responded to his trade demand, giving his agent permission to orchestrate a trade if possible. But if Taylor remains in Indy and demonstrates his right ankle is healthy, there’s no reason he can’t be a force for the Colts. Will we ultimately see the long-awaited pairing of Taylor and Richardson in the same backfield?

WIDE RECEIVER (5): Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Isaiah McKenzie, Mike Strachan

This isn’t exactly the most elite group you’ll see, but it has some real upside given the high ceilings of Pierce and Downs. The big issue here is depth. Strachan is not an ideal No. 5 because he is a nonfactor on special teams, something coach Shane Steichen emphasized would factor heavily in deciding the final spots at this position. But the season-ending knee injury to Ashton Dulin leaves the Colts thin at the bottom of this unit.

TIGHT END (5): Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Jelani Woods, Will Mallory, Andrew Ogletree

There aren’t many teams willing to carve out space for five tight ends, but this is a strong group with some young and exciting players who have the potential to become solid pros. Steichen has big plans for this group if he and his staff can develop them, but we’ll see what impact injuries elsewhere on the roster have on their ability to actually keep all these guys. Alie-Cox is the veteran of the group, but he’ll need to step up if he intends to hold off some of his competition.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Braden Smith, Blake Freeland, Danny Pinter, Arlington Hambright, Wesley French

The starting five is mostly solid and — if its key veterans can regroup — could be rejuvenated. But depth has been and continues to be the bigger concern here. The second-team offensive line was, at times, a mess during the preseason. Look for the Colts to be aggressive on the waiver wire next week after final cuts. Pinter left Thursday’s preseason game with an ankle injury.

DEFENSIVE LINE (9): DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis, Dayo Odeyingbo, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Taven Bryan, Eric Johnson

Buckner and Stewart are as good an interior tandem as you’ll find anywhere in the NFL. What’s unclear is whether the Colts can produce a consistent enough edge rush to live up to this unit’s expectations. The Colts moved on from Yannick Ngakoue after last season, but does newcomer Ebukam have what it takes to be a featured rusher? Paye feels like more of a strong side end who can set a hard edge, but someone will need to prove he can get to quarterbacks on third downs.

LINEBACKER (5): Shaquille Leonard, Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, Grant Stuard, Segun Olubi

The level of production in this group is largely dependent on what the Colts get from Leonard. He recently sustained a concussion, but the good news is his two years of ankle/calf/nerve issues seem to be mostly resolved. The remaining question is whether he can recapture his old self and get back to making game-changing plays with regularity.

CORNERBACK (6): Kenny Moore II, JuJu Brents, Darrell Baker Jr., Dallis Flowers, Jaylon Jones, Darius Rush

This is about as young as it gets at this critical position. Of the six players listed here, three are rookies (Brents, Jones and Rush), with Flowers in just his second season. If this group doesn’t step up, the Colts are going to be in a tough spot when it comes to preventing the kind of deep passes that can beat you. For better or worse, there will be a great deal of on-the-job training here.

SAFETY (4): Julian Blackmon, Rodney Thomas II, Nick Cross, Trevor Denbow

The Colts are looking for more impact from Blackmon as he makes the permanent move to strong safety, with Thomas looking to build off a surprising rookie season in 2022. Cross was a disappointment as a rookie, never living up to the expectations of the organization. Team officials had projected he’d play immediately, but he ended up playing just 11% of defensive snaps. This summer, he was strong in camp and preseason and appears ready to contribute in Year 2.

SPECIALISTS (3): Matt Gay (K), Luke Rhodes (LS), Rigoberto Sanchez (P)

This is a group the Colts should not have to lose any sleep over. Gay converted 93.3% of his field goal attempts with the Los Angeles Rams last season. Sanchez returns after a torn Achilles and has performed brilliantly in camp and the preseason. He looks to regain his place among the league’s top punters and kickoff specialists.