Over the coming days we will be taking a position-by-position look at the Indianapolis Colts roster heading into the offseason, with our lens more so on what’s ahead and what’s needed at each position group.
Up next are the running backs. If you missed our quarterback preview, you can find that here.
Running back overview
The 2024 season was a return to form for Jonathan Taylor. For the first time since 2021, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, totaling 1,431 rushing yards, which included a 218 yard performance in Week 16 against the Tennessee Titans.
Among all running backs, Taylor ranked sixth in rushing yards, even though he played in just 14 games, and he was 10th in touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. Only seven running backs in all of football generated more explosive runs than Taylor as well.
The season earned Taylor a trip to the Pro Bowl, but as good as he often was, there were some miscues in big moments down the stretch. Against Denver, Taylor would drop the ball before crossing the goal line, which took a Colts touchdown off the board and gave the ball back to the Broncos.
Then against the New York Giants, on a pass to Taylor at the 12 yard line, Taylor wasn’t looking and the ball bounced off his arm. Later in the game, on third-and-one, Taylor got the ball on a toss but ran out of bounds before reaching the line to gain when it looked like he had room.
On the next play, Taylor attempted to leap over the offensive line for the first down rather than staying on his feet. He was again stopped short.
“A situation like that, you’ve just got to find a way to make it, whether you think you’ve got it or not, you’ve got to make sure the officials think that you made it,” Taylor said after the game via the Indy Star.
As is the case when Taylor is healthy, he was the workhorse back for the Colts. Backup running backs Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson would combined for 88 carries, most of which came when Taylor was sidelined with an ankle injury.
Positional need this offseason
Running back isn’t at the top of the priority list with Taylor returning, but addressing it should be on Chris Ballard’s radar.
For one, the backup running back depth–or at least competition–is an upgradeable position, which would help take some of the workload off of Taylor’s shoulders. While he’s shown that he can handle the constant carries, having another back to lean on over the course of the season could prove beneficial.
In addition to that, as I wrote about recently, having a pass-catching element at running back–something the Colts don’t really have right now could add another dimension to this offense and be something else that defenses have to account for.
Lastly, looking down the road, which is the GM’s job, Taylor is in the final year of his deal in 2026. Beginning to formulate a ‘just in case’ plan at running back would be a prudent move.
Who are the top free agent options
If the Colts want to explore free agency as their means of bolstering the competition at this position, below are some notable names who are available, according to Over the Cap:
Aaron Jones
Najee Harris
Nick Chubb
Javonte Williams
Alexander Mattison
JK Dobbins
Kenneth Gainwell
Samaje Perine
Rico Dowdle
Kareem Hunt
Ameer Abdullah
Khalil Herbert
What about the NFL draft?
The Colts hold seven selections in this year’s draft–one in each of the seven rounds. With all of the other position groups that they could justify adding to, I’m not sure how early they’d be willing to draft a running back–perhaps Day 3 makes the most sense–but the general consensus is that this is a very deep running back class.
With help from PFF’s big board, here are the top available options in this year’s class:
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Omarion Hampton, UNC
Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Devin Neal, Kansas
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
RJ Harvey, UCF
DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
Kalel Mullings, Michigan
Damien Martinez, Miami
Trevor Etienne, Georgia
Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
Marcus Yarns, Delaware