Stampede Blue
The Colts should finally address an offensive skill position again where it’s arguably been long overdue—for good.
According to CBS Sports Jeff Kerr, the Indianapolis Colts should prioritize the tight end position this offseason—as ‘the one thing they do’:
Indianapolis Colts
Find a tight end: The Colts have not gotten much production out of their tight ends of late, which is part of the reason why Anthony Richardson struggles in the pass game. Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox combined for 26 catches for 329 yards and a touchdown this season, so the need for a playmaker at the position is evident. There are some playmakers at tight end to be had in the early rounds of the draft.
It’s not exactly a surprising revelation, as the Colts essentially got ‘next-to-nothing’ from a tight end receiving standpoint for 2nd-year quarterback Anthony Richardson this past season—which certainly contributed to his collective growing pains.
While the unit’s run blocking remained sound, the tight end room consistently struggled with drops, separation, and getting open from a receiving perspective.
Both Kylen Granson and veteran Mo Alie-Cox are set to become free agents this offseason—with the latter veteran admittedly ‘wanting to win.’
Fortunately for the Colts, this year’s tight end draft class is considered one of the deepest in recent memory—featuring Penn State prized tight end Tyler Warren as the consensus top prospect among a very talented group:
It’s not as though the Colts haven’t tried to upgrade the position recently either. The team was reportedly interested in Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro rookie tight end Brock Bowers before he was selected just before them with the 13th overall pick during last year’s draft.
The team also previously (and fairly recently) used a 2022 3rd round pick on now oft-injured big-bodied tight end Jelani Woods—whose future status with the Colts remains murky after two missed consecutive seasons.
However, there are no real ‘effort awards’ here.
Indianapolis has to safely land a difference-maker, and the Colts even have the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft as a potential means to actually get it done.
It’s been arguably long-overdue, as the Colts haven’t had a high impact player since Pro Bowler Jack Doyle retired (2021) or the one magical year (2018) in which fellow Pro Bowler Eric Ebron caught 13 receiving touchdowns from former franchise QB Andrew Luck.
It’s absolutely critical for Richardson’s continued growth and development, especially with the stakes of the 2025 season already riding high for some of the organization’s top leaders.
Among them, embattled Colts longtime general manager Chris Ballard has finally (and perhaps stubbornly through repeated trial-and-error) reached that same conclusion too:
However, it’s one thing to simply say it, and it’s another thing entirely to actually make it come to fruition this critical offseason.
