Projecting the Colts’ offensive depth chart

With OTAs ongoing, it seems like a fitting time to take a look at where players on the Colts might fit in. The Colts don’t have to release an official depth chart until the preseason, so we don’t exactly know how players line up depth-wise.

So I’ve gone ahead and made a projection of the offensive depth chart for the offense, which you can find below. We’ll take a look at the projected defensive depth chart later this week too, but for now let’s look at the offense. And keep in mind that this is all unofficial and just a guess, but I do my best to explain each position and my thoughts briefly.

QB: Andrew Luck; Scott Tolzien

The starter at quarterback is obvious, and it will be Andrew Luck taking the snaps as soon as he’s healthy enough to go. Right now, the obvious backup is Scott Tolzien, who’s been taking first team reps this offseason and who backed up Luck last year. I wouldn’t rule out a backup quarterback competition, however, as Stephen Morris and Phillip Walker could both push Tolzien for that spot in training camp and preseason.

RB: Frank Gore; Robert Turbin

The 34-year old Frank Gore is still going and is coming off of a 1,000-yard rushing season, though his effectiveness has undoubtedly dropped off some. He enters 2017 as the Colts’ starter, but I’d expect to see Robert Turbin get a bit more work (like Chris Ballard has mentioned this offseason). Turbin is the short yardage and goal line back, but we might see him get more snaps than just that. Rookie Marlon Mack is a guy to keep an eye on too, as his explosiveness and playmaking ability make him the perfect candidate for a change-of-pace back early on.

WR: T.Y. Hilton; Phillip Dorsett

WR: Donte Moncrief; Kamar Aiken

At wide receiver, I expect T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief to be the two starters, but Kamar Aiken should see legitimate snaps as the number three wide receiver too. I think that’s a really solid top three if they all stay healthy, and then Phillip Dorsett has value as a deep threat. I could see Chester Rogers pushing for more playing time too, and that would probably come at the expense of Dorsett, but for now I think the former first round pick is the number four receiver.

TE: Jack Doyle; Brandon Williams

TE: Erik Swoope; Darrell Daniels

The top two at this position are pretty clear: Jack Doyle was brought back to be the starter, and he’s an all-around good player, while Erik Swoope is an intriguing young guy who showed last year he can be a capable receiver. The depth at this position, however, is hard to project. Brandon Williams was signed this offseason, while Darrell Daniels, Colin Jeter, and Mo Alie-Cox were signed as rookie free agents. I think Alie-Cox is a guy who could stick around on the practice squad as a developmental guy, while I think Williams and Daniels are probably the top guys to watch for the backup spot(s).

LT: Anthony Castonzo; Jeremy Vujnovich

LG: Jack Mewhort; Denzelle Good

C: Ryan Kelly; Brian Schwenke

RG: Joe Haeg; Brian Schwenke

RT: Le’Raven Clark; Zach Banner

The left side of the offensive line is pretty well-established, with Anthony Castonzo at left tackle, Jack Mewhort at left guard, and Ryan Kelly at center. If those three stay healthy, they should help to ensure that at least that side of the line is solidified. The questions come on the right side of the line. I think Le’Raven Clark is clearly the frontrunner at right tackle, while I think the right guard spot is more open. I have Joe Haeg as the frontrunner, but Brian Schwenke and even Denzelle Good should compete for the starting spot. The depth spots up front are more of a guess, and it should be noted that the second teamers on the depth chart are not exactly indicative of who would step in if an injury happens, it’s just a way of putting backups at the spots. I put Schwenke as the backup at both center and guard for two reasons: 1) there’s not another center on the roster, so he’s likely the backup; and 2) to show that I think he’ll push Joe Haeg at right guard for the starting spot (so I didn’t want to list someone like Good there instead, since I think Schwenke will be Haeg’s main competition).

As with this whole depth chart, keep in mind that it’s just a guess and it’s very inexact and unofficial. It will be interesting to pay attention to how things go this offseason and into training camp, when we will get a much better idea of how the depth on the team shakes out.