3 Colts Who Don't Get Enough Credit

Ashton Dulin's position slot is wide receiver. However, while he's an explosive pass-catcher, he isn't utilized much in that respect (40 career catches and four touchdowns).

Where Dulin's value truly shines is doing the dirty work and excelling in various roles on special teams for position coach, Brian Mason.

Dulin has shown the ability to block well, but also return kicks and make key special teams tackles to give the defense better field position.

As a returner, Dulin has stacked 37 kick returns for 1,103 return yards and an average of 29.8, which is an excellent mark.

But his tackling efficiency is what earned Dulin a Second-Team All-Pro nomination in 2021. That year, Dulin put up an impressive 17 special teams tackles as a gunner.

In total, Dulin has amassed 57 tackles through his six years with the Colts. He's also tacked on three fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown.

Dulin is a do-it-all name for Indianapolis who doesn't come up much in NFL conversations. Regardless, the Colts love what they get from the veteran and will likely do whatever they can to make sure he stays with the team until retirement.

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Adetomiwa Adebawore | Defensive Tackle

When the Colts took Adetomiwa Adebawore with the 110th-overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Northwestern, not too much was expected out of the incredibly athletic defensive tackle.

However, Adebawore looked uninspiring when on the field and showed he had plenty of room to grow. This spilled into his second season, as well.

Over Adebawore's first two years, he saw action in 26 games and tallied only 2.5 sacks, 12 tackles, four tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits.

Adebawore shouldn't be criticized for not putting up wild numbers, considering he was in a rotational role alongside stalwarts DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. However, he still wasn't living up to even modest expectations.

2025 was a different story for Adebawore. After the Colts signed fellow backup defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, it appeared that Adebawore was quickly becoming an afterthought.

This didn't become the case, as Adebawore excelled as a pure pass-rusher from the interior and had the best year of his career.

While Adebawore struggled in run defense, he isn't that type of defensive tackle. Instead, he put up 34 quarterback pressures, 4.0 sacks, 36 tackles, five tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits.

The Colts can still use more defensive tackle depth, but should have no worries about Adebawore in this role moving forward.

Mo Alie-Cox | Tight End

After the impressive rookie season from the Pro Bowl tight end, Tyler Warren, the rest of the players in the room might get overlooked.

However, while Warren deserves the spotlight, veteran Mo Alie-Cox rests in the shadows as a reliable presence whenever his services are needed.

Alie-Cox has been with Indianapolis for all eight of his NFL seasons. While Alie-Cox is a free agent this year, I still put him on this list because it's hard to imagine the Colts don't re-sign him.

Alie-Cox hasn't been the most prolific offensive weapon, but seems to come up with key plays when they matter most, especially in the red zone.

As a massive 6'5", 257-pound target, he's difficult to handle in the red zone. Through 125 career games, he's secured 127 catches for 1,550 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.

What's impressive is that every 7.9 catches Alie-Cox hauls in are for scores. The red zone isn't the only area where Alie-Cox excels. Alie-Cox is also a skilled blocker in-line and opens up opportunities for the running attack to flourish.

Similar to Dulin, Alie-Cox seems like a player the Colts will keep until his retirement if they can. His reliability, veteran presence, and willingness to help the offense however he can cannot be overstated.

Expect him back with a new deal in 2026.