Top 10 Indianapolis Colts Players Going Into the 2026-27 NFL Season

The Colts are an interesting team. Last season will always feel like a what-if season. Indianapolis looked really good through the first half of the season before things took a downward turn when Daniel Jones suffered an Achilles injury. At least we got to see Philip Rivers make a special appearance out of nowhere.

This team could be good or bad on paper. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect from them. Can they make the playoffs? Sure. Will they? That's a question yet to be answered.

The Top Ten

  1. Jonathan Taylor

    Jonathan Taylor is an elite running back. Nothing more needs to be said.

    He finished with 1,585 yards, ranking 3rd highest in the league on 323 carries, and scored 18 touchdowns. He led the entire NFL with the most rushing touchdowns. This was by far his best season since his 2021 campaign.

    JT is excellent and continues to be the dominant focal point for the entire Colts offense. He is, without a doubt, a true game changer and one of the top running backs in the league, as long as he can stay healthy.

  2. Quenton Nelson

    Few offensive linemen are as consistent as Quenton Nelson. This guy has been elite since he was drafted in 2018. He's been selected to the Pro Bowl in every season he's been in the league, which is impressive in its own right, and is a 6-time All-Pro.

    PFF gave him an 84.7 grade, ranking 4th best at his position. Throughout 1,038 snaps played, he only had 2 penalties and only 1 sack allowed the entire season. Nelson is as durable and reliable as they come.

  3. DeForest Buckner

    Buckner has been truly elite in the NFL. He is one of the best defensive tackles in the league with 3 Pro Bowls and multiple All-Pro team selections.

    He's a guy who constantly draws double teams and has been a true veteran leader for the Colts defense. He finished with 47 tackles, 4 sacks, and 9 tackles for loss. All of that was in 10 games.

    He missed about a third of the season in 2025 with a nagging neck injury. He was cleared for practice, so he should be just fine for this season.

  4. Sauce Gardner

    Sauce Gardner is one of the top, if not the best, cornerbacks in the NFL. He's elite in coverage and a true shutdown cornerback. The Jets traded him to Indianapolis in early November 2025 in exchange for two first-round picks and WR Adonai Mitchell. In total, he finished with 36 tackles and 9 passes deflected.

    I feel like his first two seasons were just different. He made two Pro Bowls and two First-Team All-Pros, and was Defensive Rookie of the Year. Since then, he hasn't quite reached those same highs, on paper anyways. Regardless, there's no denying that he's still really good.

  5. Tyler Warren

    I figured Tyler Warren would do well here, and through one season, he looked pretty good all things considered. He finished the season with 76 receptions for 817 yards and 4 touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl berth.

    He finished with the 5th most receiving yards for any tight end in the league, and through the first 8 weeks of the season, he led all rookie tight ends. He also broke the Colts franchise record for most receiving yards for a rookie tight end (726) set by John Mackey in 1963.

    So far, I'd say Tyler Warren has been as good as advertised, if not better.

  6. Daniel Jones

    Daniel Jones, otherwise known as Indiana Jones, had a very interesting season in 2025. Early on, he was playing like a potential MVP candidate. He took the league by storm in a situation everybody thought he'd fail in. He had a breakout year that really came out of nowhere.

    His comeback story was one of the best in the league until he tore his Achilles late in the season, derailing what could've been. He finished his season with 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, 8 picks, and a 100.2 passer rating.

    Honestly, I'm not sure what to expect from him coming off an injury that could take some time to get back to fully healthy.

  7. Laiatu Latu

    Latu is a good, promising pass rusher heading into year 3. So far, he's been versatile and productive. He had 8.5 sacks and 3 interceptions in 2025.

    The Colts will need him to continue to produce at that level. Assuming he can, he should get his 5th-year option picked up. He's a good player who I think could become a great player.

  8. Alec Pierce

    Pierce has been a solid wide receiver for the Colts since his rookie season in 2022. Last season, he finally had his breakout season with 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and 6 touchdowns. Also, in back-to-back seasons, he's led the league in average yards per reception at over 20.

    Pierce is a guy I think can have an even better 2026 now that he's going to be the primary wide receiver 1.

  9. Bernhard Raimann

    Raimann is a solid starting left tackle. He plays an important role protecting the quarterback's blind side. Raimann earned an 82.0 grade by PFF, ranking 12th overall at his position. The Austrian native has shown impressive performance in his career and recently signed a 4-year extension last offseason, keeping him in Indianapolis through 2028.

  10. Josh Downs

    Josh Downs is a decent slot receiver. He's an elite route runner and can create some separation.

    PFF gave him a 77.1 overall grade, ranking 25th overall in 2025. He had kind of a down year with only 566 yards and 4 touchdowns. He'll have something to prove in 2026 and should see a much larger role in the offense.

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