What are Colts’ biggest remaining positional needs before upcoming 2024 NFL Draft?

The Colts still have a few positions to upgrade this offseason with the upcoming NFL Draft—and potentially later free agency periods to do it.

The Indianapolis Colts still have a number of team needs just a few weeks before the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off and with the league’s free agency activity having fallen off considerably from the initial early signing frenzy, collectively.

NFL.com believes that the Colts still have positional deficiencies at cornerback, wide receiver, running back, interior offensive line, and safety:

Biggest needs: CB, WR, RB, IOL, S

Re-signing Julian Blackmon, Michael Pittman Jr. and Kenny Moore II stabilized the Colts’ receiving group and secondary, respectively, but depth is still needed in both areas. Zack Moss, who is now in Cincinnati, played a key role backing up star RB Jonathan Taylor last year, so the team could pick someone to compete with Evan Hull for that role. Interior offensive linemen Ryan Kelly and Will Fries are free agents after the 2024 season, so general manager Chris Ballard may look for a future starter on Day 3.

It’s hard to disagree with the majority of their list, as in particular, cornerback, safety, and wide receiver remain key areas for the Colts to still improve upon—even after the Colts re-signed wideout Michael Pittman Jr., cornerback Kenny Moore II, and safety Julian Blackmon.

At wideout, the Colts could use another ‘dude’ on the other side of Pittman Jr. to be the 1A to his 1B, providing 2nd-year quarterback Anthony Richardson another big-time weapon to aid in his early development and continued success.

Next at cornerback, it’s a mystery who will start opposite of JuJu Brents, most likely being between Jaylon Jones and Dallis Flowers, who’s coming off a season-ending Achilles injury.

Lastly, neither Rodney Thomas II nor Nick Cross was able to successfully run away with the starting safety job adjacent to Blackmon. In particular, there’s a pair of veteran free agent safeties Justin Simmons and Quandre Diggs still available.

That being said, the listed positions of backup running back and interior offensive line are more ancillary at this point and may be easily solved by some savvy ‘Day 3’ draft selections or late veteran free agent bargain signings regarding adding depth.

In my opinion, I would’ve placed both tight end and edge rush ahead of both of these latter two depth positions, as it stands. It’s not that the Colts are in trouble at either per se, especially when compared to their current positional state at cornerback and safety (which look pretty bleak right now), but Indianapolis lacks an elite playmaker at either position.

I think adding a high-end impact player at either tight end or edge rush would mean much more to improving the Colts’ chances of success in 2024 then added depth at either running back or interior offensive line, especially in light of those two latter positions being much more easier to fill through alternative means.

What do you think, Colts fans?