Colts' Under-25 Talent Shown No Love in Rankings

The Indianapolis Colts are in the midst of a huge training camp to prepare the team in the best way possible for an important 2025 season. One of the most promising subjects is the young talent that Indy has assembled.

With so much skill to boast for the future, it's all about connecting those names to execution and proper operation on the field. ESPN's Aaron Schatz breaks down Indy's top names to watch that are under the age of 25.

However, he ranks Indianapolis 20th out of 32 possible entries, which shows a potential lack of trust in this group. But, given the previous 8-9 season, it's somewhat understandable.

Offensive names that Schatz brings into the conversation are Anthony Richardson Sr., Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell, Tyler Warren, Matt Goncalves, and Tanor Bortolini.

Richardson is in the battle of a lifetime against fellow quarterback Daniel Jones to become the next starter. Richardson has looked great in his past few training camp practices and appears to be closing the gap in the competition with Jones.

Downs showed incredible promise last year despite two different quarterbacks throwing him passes. Through 14 games he led the team with 72 catches and was one of the most reliable pass-catchers. His third year will be one to watch, as it has 'breakout' written all over it.

Mitchell has had a mixed bag through the 2025 training camp, but had a brutal rookie season that saw him catch just 23 passes for 312 yards. For Mitchell to get targets in a crowded and talented wide receiver room, he'll need to step it up.

Warren hasn't played a down in the NFL, but if he's anything close to his last year with Penn State, he'll be a weapon for Shane Steichen to use. He caught 104 passes for 1,233 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. Warren immediately slots in as TE1.

Goncalves and Bortolini have massive shoes to fill after Ryan Kelly and Will Fries were signed to the Minnesota Vikings. However, they each got a taste of starter reps last year, and have great promise under position coach Tony Sparano Jr.

And for the defense, Nick Cross, Jaylon Jones, Jaylon Carlies, Laiatu Latu, and J.T. Tuimoloau get the nod in Schatz's article.

Cross is coming off a breakout season that saw him erupt with 146 tackles, six tackles for loss, three interceptions, and five passes defended. Cross is now paired with Camryn Bynum to shore up the safety spots for Lou Anarumo.

Jones became one of Indy's top cornerbacks last year, achieving triple-digit tackles (100), two picks, and 12 passes defended. Jones did suffer an ankle injury during training camp practice and was subsequently carted off the field. His recovery will be something to closely monitor.

Carlies will now join Zaire Franklin as the linebacking duo at the second level. Carlies only played 10 games, but showed an ability to be sticky in coverage, posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 83.1 in the matter. Carlies needs to stay healthy and rise to the occasion for a new-look defense.

Latu was thrown into the fray for his rookie year after Samson Ebukam went down with a season-ending Achilles injury. Latu provided 4.0 sacks, 38 quarterback pressures, and three fumbles forced. It's all about taking the sophomore leap for Latu, and no better time than with Anarumo leading the charge.

Tuimoloau was drafted with the 45th overall pick in the second round out of Ohio State. Tuimoloau will provide solid run defense and has the potential to make an impact in the defensive edge room. It remains to be seen how much he'll play, but he has the talent to get significant snaps.

Indianapolis' young talents are a significant portion of the overall roster, and they'll all be relied upon to make an impact to help the squad finally make the playoffs. It's not just the future these names are for, but the here-and-now, as well.

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