Colts stock report: Who is winning Indy’s key position battles at WR, RB and LB?

Shane Steichen prefers privacy. The Indianapolis Colts coach hardly ever discusses the inner workings of his team, so he isn’t exactly keen to open up when asked to update key position battles after the first two weeks of training camp. Instead, Steichen is generally complimentary of all his players, without giving too many hints about his own leaderboard.

However, the beauty of training camp is that every practice is open to the media, so developments amid key position battles are easier to identify. The Colts’ joint practice Tuesday with the New England Patriots and preseason opener Thursday against the same team will provide even more insight. While we wait for those checkpoints, let’s take a look at some stock risers and fallers at key spots.

Stock risers

QB Daniel Jones 2.0

Disclaimer: No, unlike last year, Jones isn’t competing for the starting job, but he is competing against the old version of himself, which is why he made this list. The 29-year-old signal caller has looked about as healthy as anyone could have hoped, considering he’s only eight months removed from undergoing surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon. Jones has been sharp in camp, with his accuracy and velocity turning heads, but it’s his mobility that’s really stood out. He’s taken off on a handful of scrambles, and it’s impossible to tell he was ever injured.

WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

Westbrook-Ikhine has come alive in the Colts’ recent practices and continues to strengthen his case to be the team’s third starting receiver over veterans Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell. While Dulin and Treadwell have made a few plays, neither has been as consistent as Westbrook-Ikhine. The 29-year-old always seems to be in the right place at the right time, and the chemistry he’s building with Jones is easy to notice. Westbrook-Ikhine is coming off a down year with the Miami Dolphins (11 receptions, 89 yards in 15 games). However, he totaled 32 catches for 497 yards and nine touchdowns with the Tennessee Titans in 2024, and so far he’s showing he’s still capable of being a quality contributor.

RB Seth McGowan

Obviously, Jonathan Taylor will headline the Colts’ running back room, especially after inking a two-year, $44 million contract extension. But even after a season in which Taylor never appeared on the injury report, McGowan could come in handy in keeping Taylor fresh.

The rookie seventh-round pick has emerged as Indy’s top backup running back, thanks to his bruising running style and soft hands out of the backfield. He’ll need to prove himself in pass protection to carve out a consistent role, but former Colts coach and current radio analyst Rick Venturi has already dubbed McGowan “the steal of the draft,” and the football lifer may be on to something.

Worth noting

K Blake Grupe: Grupe has made 27 of his 30 field-goal attempts in training camp. Meanwhile, Spencer Shrader is 16-of-22 on his kicks. LB Bryce Boettcher: The Colts have continued to rotate linebackers more than any other position, making it difficult to guess who will start, but Boettcher continues to get valuable first-team reps as a rookie fifth-round pick.

Stock fallers

QB Anthony Richardson Sr.

The Colts’ night practice last week was arguably Richardson’s worst training camp practice ever. The 2023 No. 4 pick was unable to find any offensive rhythm, a theme for him throughout training camp. Richardson has also mishandled or dropped an alarming number of snaps that have resulted in the team’s simulated drives stalling or ending. Riley Leonard appears to be on track to serve as the Colts’ top backup QB, not because he’s had a great camp by any means, but because he just hasn’t played as poorly as Richardson.

RB DJ Giddens

Giddens has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, which has allowed McGowan to take even more reps with the first- and second-team offense. When healthy, Giddens has a little more wiggle and finesse to his game than McGowan, which can help him make defenders miss and pick up bigger chunks. Giddens, however, has dropped a few passes throughout training camp, which hasn’t helped his case after a quiet rookie season. The 2025 fifth-round pick tallied just 26 carries for 96 yards last year. What’s more, since Giddens has been out, 2025 undrafted free agent Ulysses Bentley IV appears to be pushing to be Indy’s third running back after making some standout plays in recent practices.

LB CJ Allen

Allen has also been out with a hamstring injury, marking the second time the Colts rookie second-round pick has been sidelined during training camp. He also missed the start of camp due to a calf strain. Allen’s absences haven’t derailed his chances of starting, but the more time he misses, the more opportunities others will have to step up. Indianapolis has experimented with a slew of linebackers receiving starting reps, including Boettcher, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Austin Ajiake and even undrafted rookie West Weeks.

Worth noting

S Hunter Wohler: Wohler is out with a hamstring injury, as well. The 2025 seventh-round pick had been taking most of the starting reps at strong safety, but in his absence, rookie third-round pick A.J. Haulcy has stepped in as the starter. DE Jaylahn Tuimoloau: Tuimoloau has had a solid camp, to be clear, but he hasn’t flashed enough to overtake veteran Arden Key, who appears to be the front-runner to start opposite Laiatu Latu on the edge.