Colts' Must-Watch Roster Battles vs. Ravens

TE4: Will Mallory, Jelani Woods

Will Mallory and Jelani Woods are two players in a similar boat, likely battling for one roster spot, and that's if the Colts keep more than three tight ends. Mallory has battled some injuries in his first two years while also trying to prove he's more than just a receiving tight end. Woods flashed as an athletically freaky rookie in 2022, but he's spent the last two full seasons on Injured Reserve with hamstring and foot injuries.

Both players have had a good training camp, but in order to make the roster, they'll need to keep that up while staying healthy snd showing growth as blockers. Otherwise, the Colts are more than comfortable with carrying Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, and Drew Ogletree.

OT3: Blake Freeland, Jalen Travis

This is an opportunity for third-year tackle Blake Freeland to regain footing in his standing on the team. As a rookie, he earned the Colts' swing tackle role and played 701 snaps. However, the Colts drafted Matt Goncalves last spring, who beat Freeland for the swing tackle role, which relegated Freeland to just 23 snaps -- a difference of 678 snaps from the year before.

Goncalves has been elevated to the starting lineup at right guard, but now, rookie Jalen Travis is standing in Freeland's way. Freeland could still stick on the roster if he doesn't win the swing tackle job, but the team is optimistic about Travis' future, which could greatly limit Freeland's opportunities to see the field.

C1: Tanor Bortolini, Danny Pinter

The Colts listed Tanor Bortolini as the first-team center on their depth chart, which could indicate the battle is over, but we'll have to keep an eye on it in camp after Thursday, because Bortolini and Danny Pinter have alternated first-team reps most days.

In theory, it makes much more sense for Bortolini to win the job, because the Colts drafted him last year to be the future of the position after Ryan Kelly left, which was this offseason. Bortolini played well in the snaps he played as a rookie. The Colts wanted to do right by Pinter, however, giving the sixth-year vet the opportunity to win the starting center spot, which became vacant for the first time since he's been with the team.

DE3/4/5: Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis, JT Tuimoloau

The Colts are likely to use a heavy rotation at defensive end, and also move some of them inside to tackle situationally, but behind starters Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu, who sees more snaps?

Tuimoloau is a rookie who has had impressive moments in camp, but the Colts have two other established veterans in Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis. It may be wisest to rotate the three evenly, though. Both vets are 30 years old, and with their injury history, it might be a good idea to limit their snaps, so as to make each snap count more rather than rolling them out for extensive action. That would also give Tuimoloau more of the reps that he needs to keep developing.

NT2/3: Eric Johnson II, Tim Smith, Josh Tupou

I thought I had a good gauge on what the Colts wanted to do behind Grover Stewart at nose tackle, but that's changed a few times over the last several months.

Initially, the Colts drafted Tim Smith in the sixth round, which they were excited about. Then, they brought back Eric Johnson II during the offseason, a player they drafted in 2022 but waived in 2024. Then, during camp, the Colts signed one of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's former Cincinnati Bengals players, Josh Tupou, who Anarumo trusts to get the job done as a two-down run stuffer.

LB2/3: Jaylon Carlies, Cameron McGrone, Joe Bachie, *Hunter Wohler

The Colts went throughout the offseason without making many intentionally consequential moves at linebacker because Jaylon Carlies had been anointed the starter at WILL alongside Zaire Franklin. After missing the offseason program while healing from a shoulder surgery, Carlies returned for training camp but has lost ground as the starter.

The Colts have used a substantial dose of Joe Bachie, Cameron McGrone, and even recently Austin Ajiake at linebacker, both at MIKE and WILL. Carlies has been seen recently with the second-team defense and even introduced to more work on special teams. He's also missed the last two practices due to injury. Meanwhile, seventh-rounder Hunter Wohler could play a role at linebacker as well. This feels like one of the most up-in-the-air groups on the roster.

OCB2: Justin Walley, Jaylon Jones, JuJu Brents, Samuel Womack III

Injuries to the cornerback group have complicated matters greatly. Top outside cornerback Charvarius Ward has been in and out of the lineup, slot Kenny Moore II missed a couple of days as well. Rookie Justin Walley was in competition with Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents for the other starting boundary corner spot, but both Jones and Brents went out with hamstring injuries last week and have yet to return. Now, Walley has a banged-up knee as of Tuesday's joint practice with the Ravens.

We've seen Samuel Womack III, Johnathan Edwards, and even Alex Johnson play significantly more meaningful snaps in the last week. The main players have to get healthy before we can get an accurate gauge on this competition.

K1: Spencer Shrader, Maddux Trujillo

The Colts released veteran Matt Gay this offseason because of their comfort level with second-year kicker Spencer Shrader, who was perfect on his kicks in limited action with three teams last year. Shrader looked in line to be handed the job, but the Colts signed an undrafted rookie who they really like in Maddux Trujillo.

Shrader has outperformed Trujillo so far through camp, but the Colts may let this one ride through camp and the preseason.

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