As the NFL offseason is quickly approaching, the Indianapolis Colts will have to try and bolster their roster. For teams who are looking to improve, the best way to do so is by bringing players in. The Colts certainly have talent on their roster, but they still have needs that must be addressed in 2025.
With this upcoming season being absolutely crucial for the legitimacy of this franchise, the Colts must get these needs right. As Chris Ballard mentioned in his Year-End Press Conference, this franchise is “not close”. They have not won the division in over ten years. They have won a playoff game in the last six years and they have missed the playoffs four straight seasons. Needless to say, this team needs better personnel and two areas are glaring.
The Top Two Needs of the Colts in 2025
Tight End
The biggest need that the Colts have going into 2025 is the tight end position. This has been a glaring issue since Eric Ebron’s 2018 season when Andrew Luck was quarterback. Chris Ballard has drafted tight ends and has brought guys in during free agency, but for some reason, this position just doesn’t seem to produce. Through the 2021-2023 NFL Drafts, the Colts drafted three tight ends and all three are still on the roster. The Colts picked Kylen Granson in the 2021 NFL Draft. They drafted Jelani Woods in the 2022 NFL Draft. Lastly, the drafted Will Mallory in the 2023 NFL Draft. Combined, these guys have a grand total of 1,506 receiving yards and four touchdowns. To put things in perspective, Travis Kelce had 1,416 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in one season by himself.
The bottom line is that the Colts have not had a reliable tight end since 2018 when Eric Ebron finished with 750 receiving yards. In the modern era of the NFL, it is rare that teams make the playoffs and win Super Bowls without a top, reliable tight end. The last ten Super bowl winning franchises all had tight ends who, by themselves, were able to have more than 500 yards receiving in a season. This is a stat that the Colts cannot claim. They have tried using the draft in the past for their guy. Therefore, free agency might be the way to go. The tight end market will be quite small in 2025, but there are a couple of veteran gems that the Colts can explore.
Safety
Another big need for the Colts in 2025 is a safety or two. The defense was an absolute disaster in 2025 and the Colts know that they need to shore up that unit to be competitive. They have skill on the defensive line and with their linebackers. However, the secondary is mightily lacking in consistency. They ranked 31st in terms of allowing opposing quarterbacks almost a 70% completion rate. They also allowed 10 completions of 40 yards or more which ranked 24th.
In a nutshell, the Colts secondary, amongst the coaching issues, was a big reason as to why the defense struggled. For this team to take strides to be better and get closer to a much-needed playoff birth, their secondary must get better. The draft is probably not the best place to find a starting safety who can compete with some of the leagues best. However, free agency would be the best option for the Colts as the safety market will be quite large in 2025. Getting a proven veteran who can come in and make an impact on day one will be crucial for this Colts defense.
Main Image: Mykal McEldowney – USA Today Sports
