Kylen Granson is entering his third season in the NFL, which makes him a veteran in the Colts' tight end room.
He led Colts tight ends with a career-high 31 receptions in 2022, and his 302 receiving yards were second among tight ends, trailing only Jelani Woods' 312.
The season was full of challenges but also it was a season he's hoping helps him grow in the future.
"There was a lot of strife, there was a lot of adversity, a lot of things changing and everyone can agree it wasn't up to our standards; fans, coaches, players we all knew that wasn't good," Granson said. "That wasn't what the Colts' standard should have been. Definitely, I feel like my production was hampered but at the same time, I really want to be able to use that last year as a stepping stone to propel myself forward into this next year. Really jump off of what should have been and taking it forward into this next year. I really hope to a big leap forward into the future."
Granson, along with the rest of the offense, is learning a new scheme under head coach Shane Steichen and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. Steichen, with the Colts in Week 3 of OTAs and Week 9 of the offseason program, has been pleased with what he's seen from Granson to this point.
"He's got great route-running ability," Steichen said. "I'm really pleased where he's at. He understands the game of football really well. He understands leverage, technique, all those different things – how to get himself open. Really please with where he's at and his route-running ability and also as a blocker."
Granson, too, has been helped this offseason by the addition of quarterback Gardner Minshew, who spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles with Steichen as his offensive coordinator.
"He's already so in tuned with it," Granson said. "He's came up through it already so he's been a real good help. He's starting to pull like advance tech that like you know 'hold on, explain that to me Gardner.' But yeah it's really cool, it's kind of like with Mo (Alie-Cox) you know, if there is something I don't understand he can just explain it to me and then boom, that's that. We're on to the next, really nice having a vet in that sort of sense."
Steichen announced last week that the team will have two joint practices, first at Grand Park with the Chicago Bears and second with the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the Colts' preseason finale. Granson is looking forward to testing himself throughout training camp and in those joint practices ahead of an important season for him and the rest of the team's tight ends.
"It's going to be awesome," Granson said. "It's always like a game before the game. You know, live reps and live competition is always important. There is a difference between going against your own defense and going against another team's defense. … The speed is different, the tempo is different, the way we play is different because you're going against someone new, someone you've never seen before except for maybe a few glimpses on film. It just adds another factor, a little X-factor that you don't really account for and seeing how people adapt is key. I think that is why coaches always emphasize that the joint practices are so important because it allows them to see exactly what you can do when you are going up against another NFL athlete. Being able to show your stuff and being able to do it consistently, you know speaks a lot to who you are."
View highlights of Colts practice during OTAs at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
56 C/G Quenton Nelson , Head Coach Shane Steichen
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
55 DE Khalid Kareem,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
4 QB Sam Ehlinger,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
4 QB Sam Ehlinger,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
4 QB Sam Ehlinger,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
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Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
10 QB Gardner Minshew, 26 RB Evan Hull,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
49 TE Pharaoh Brown,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
48 TE Kaden Smith,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
37 RB Jake Funk,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
15 WR Vyncint Smith,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
14 WR Alec Pierce,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
40 CB Jaylon Jones,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
6 WR Isaiah McKenzie,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
81 TE Mo Alie-Cox,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
81 TE Mo Alie-Cox,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
16 WR Ashton Dulin,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
39 CB Darrell Baker Jr.,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
33 CB Dallis Flowers,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
37 CB Cole Coleman,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
48 S Aaron Maddox,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
48 S Aaron Maddox,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
23 CB Kenny Moore II,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
38 CB Tony Brown,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
95 DT Adetomiwa Adebawore,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
3 K Lucas Havrisik,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
3 K Lucas Havrisik,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
16 WR Ashton Dulin,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
23 CB Kenny Moore II
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
38 CB Tony Brown
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson,
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
4 QB Sam Ehlinger
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
23 CB Kenny Moore II
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
32 S Julian Blackmon
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
Head Coach Shane Steichen
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
10 QB Gardner Minshew
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
10 QB Gardner Minshew
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
10 QB Gardner Minshew
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
10 QB Gardner Minshew
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
10 QB Gardner Minshew , 28 RB Jonathan Taylor
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
4 QB Sam Ehlinger
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
3 K Lucas Havrisik
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
17 WR Mike Strachan
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
52 LB Samson Ebukam
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
5 QB Anthony Richardson
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
Head Coach Shane Steichen
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
52 LB Samson Ebukam
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
97 DT McTelvin Agim
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
68 DT Caleb Sampson
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
14 WR Alec Pierce
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
97 DT McTelvin Agim
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
52 LB Samson Ebukam
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
92 DE Genard Avery
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
90 DT Grover Stewart
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
66 G Emil Ekiyor, 62 C Wesley French
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
99 DT DeForest Buckner
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
40 CB Jaylon Jones
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
21 RB Zack Moss
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
27 CB Kevin Toliver II
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
95 DT Adetomiwa Adebawore
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
37 CB Cole Coleman
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
35 RB Deon Jackson , 5 QB Anthony Richardson
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
26 RB Evan Hull
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
10 QB Gardner Minshew
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
37 RB Jake Funk
Players train during Phase III OTAs of offseason workouts.
