The Colts will open the 2021 regular season on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Seattle Seahawks. Below is the Colts' unofficial depth chart for the week:
OFFENSE
» WR: Parris Campbell, Mike Strachan
» LT: Eric Fisher, Julién Davenport
» LG: Quenton Nelson, Chris Reed
» C: Ryan Kelly, Danny Pinter
» RG: Mark Glowinski, Will Fries
» RT: Braden Smith, Matt Pryor
» TE: Jack Doyle
» TE: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson
» WR: Zach Pascal
» WR: Michael Pittman Jr., Ashton Dulin
» QB: Carson Wentz, Jacob Eason
» RB: Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, Marlon Mack, Jordan Wilkins
Notes:
» Wednesday's practice will be critical in determining Carson Wentz's availability for Week 1 - if he's a full participant, Reich said it would be "safe to say" he'd be on track to start in Sunday's season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Lucas Oil Stadium.
» Eric Fisher was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on to the Colts' active roster on Monday. We'll hear from coach Frank Reich this week about Fisher's potential availability for Week 1, but if he is not ready to play, Julién Davenport came on strong in training camp and looked more than capable of filling in at left tackle.
» Parris Campbell had a healthy and productive preseason and will be counted on to help fill in for T.Y. Hilton, who's on injured reserve after undergoing a neck procedure last week.
» It's all systems go for a loaded running back room - that depth looks incredible, with two 1,000-yard rushers (Jonathan Taylor in 2020, Marlon Mack in 2019), one of the NFL's most versatile and dynamic playmakers (Nyheim Hines) and a dependable guy of whom Reich is a big fan (Jordan Wilkins).
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DEFENSE
» DE: Kwity Paye, Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu
» DT: DeForest Buckner, Chris Williams
» NT: Grover Stewart, Taylor Stallworth
» DE: Al-Quadin Muhammed, Tyquan Lewis, Isaac Rochell
» WLB: Darius Leonard, E.J. Speed, Jordan Glasgow
» MLB: Bobby Okereke
» SAM: Zaire Franklin, Matthew Adams
» CB: Rock Ya-Sin, Isaiah Rodgers, Chris Wilcox
» FS: Julian Blackmon, T.J. Carrie
» SS: Khari Willis, George Odum
» N: Kenny Moore II, T.J. Carrie
» CB: Xavier Rhodes, BoPete Keyes
Notes:
» It's no surprise to see rookie Kwity Paye atop the Colts' depth chart heading into Week 1 - he had a tremendous training camp, impressing coaches and teammates with his work ethic, attention to detail and focused commitment to getting better each day. And his on-field production was equally impressive - he had two sacks in two preseason games and was a consistently disruptive presence during practices at Grand Park.
» Al-Quadin Muhammed earned that top spot at the other D-end spot opposite Paye with steady progress leading up to the season. Muhammed is entering his fourth year in Indianapolis and will be part of a deep, talented front the Colts believe can drive their defense in 2021.
» Given all the year-to-year turnover NFL rosters have, it's impressive to see all six of the Colts' 2020 linebackers back in 2021, which speaks to not only their impact on the defense, but on special teams as well.
» Rock Ya-Sin enters Week 1 as a starter, while T.J. Carrie's versatility is once again noticeable on the depth chart.
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SPECIALISTS
» P: Rigoberto Sanchez
» PK: Rodrigo Blankenship
» H: Rigoberto Sanchez
» LS: Luke Rhodes
» KR: Isaiah Rodgers, Ashton Dulin
» PR: Nyheim Hines, Isaiah Rodgers
Notes:
» Bubba Ventrone's group ranked 10th in special teams DVOA in 2020 and returns a number of key players, including 2020 NFL All-Rookie Team honorees in Blankenship, Rodgers and Glasgow, and 2020 first-team AP All-Pro George Odum.
» Sanchez and Rhodes are two of the longest-tenured players on the Colts, having debuted for Indianapolis in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The only current players who've been with the team longer are wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and tight end Jack Doyle.
