Who are the Colts best trio of players entering the 2024 campaign?
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Player Experience
Michael Pittman Jr. 5th season
DeForest Buckner 9th season
Quenton Nelson 7th season
Picking these three was a debate between talent level and recent production. Offensive linemen Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith and Ryan Kelly all earned season grades higher than Nelson, but Nelson is still the best of the bunch, for now.
Samson Ebukam earned a higher overall grade than DeForest Buckner, but Buckner beat him out in pass-rush grade (87.1).
Wide receiver Michael Pittman did take over for running back Jonathan Taylor from last year’s list due to his consistency as the team’s top receiver.
Also Considered: RB Jonathan Taylor, CB Kenny Moore II, T Bernhard Raimann
It’s hard to disagree with the selections for the most part.
Colts’ veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was named to his third Pro Bowl, finishing with 81 tackles (45 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, 52 QB pressures, 30 QB hurries, 13 QB hits, 7 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery (*returned for a touchdown) during 17 games (16 starts) in 2023.
Buckner was their 8th best graded interior defender with a +81.8 overall grade, including a +87.1 pass rushing grade, the latter which was 4th best among all players at his position.
DeFo was arguably the Colts’ most valuable player last season and consistently is the engine that drives their young improving defense.
Meanwhile, Quenton Nelson remains the catalyst along the Colts’ interior offensive line. Nelson started in 17 games at left guard last year, earning a +70.8 overall grade from PFF (which was the 16th best among all players at his position). In pass protection last year, Big Q allowed just a sack and 21 total QB pressures during 686 total pass blocking snaps.
While not as physically dominant, perhaps due to lingering injuries, Nelson played at a Pro Bowl level again and is still a savvy technician with plenty of athleticism and power left in the tank. He remains one of the best players at his position in the league.
Lastly, Colts wideout Michael Pittman Jr. led the Colts in receptions (109, which was 5th most in the NFL last year), receiving yards (1,152), and touchdown receptions (4) during 16 games (15 starts) in 2023.
He was rewarded with a lucrative 3-year contract extension this offseason. While not a burner, Pittman is deceptively quick for his size at 6’4,” 223 pounds and is about as sure-handed of a possession target as there is in the league right now. He earned a +77.7 overall wide receiver grade from PFF last year, which was good for 27th best at his position.
Personally, I may have gone with Jonathan Taylor over Michael Pittman Jr. here. I know Taylor’s injuries last year likely played a factor, but he’s arguably a Top 3 player at his position when fully healthy. Pittman is probably closer to the backend of Top 10, and maybe even Top 10-15. That’s not a criticism, it’s just a deep position now league-wide at wideout.
However, this ranking isn’t for anything, so it’s nothing to be ultimately upset about. Colts fans have to hope Anthony Richardson soon finds himself among this elite company in future years, which certainly isn’t out of the question given the tantalizing start to his rookie year, before it was unfortunately cut short with his season-ending throwing shoulder injury.
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