Indianapolis Colts DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Indianapolis Colts signed rookie first-round tight end Tyler Warren to a four-year, fully-guaranteed $20.9 million contract on Friday that includes an $11.88 million signing bonus, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Colts also signed six other draft picks, including cornerback Justin Walley, tackle Jalen Travis, running back DJ Giddens, quarterback Riley Leonard, defensive tackle Tim Smith and safety Hunter Wohler. The Colts took Warren with the 14th overall pick in this year's draft out of Penn State, and they're hoping he can be the standout pass-catching TE they've been searching for for quite a while. He has a huge frame at 6-foot-5, 256 pounds and has plenty of after-the-catch ability, but fantasy managers should probably pump the brakes on Warren being the next Sam LaPorta or Brock Bowers in his rookie season given the uncertainty at the QB position in Indy.

The Indianapolis Colts signed free-agent linebacker Joe Bachie to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, according to the Indianapolis Star's Joel A. Erickson. Bachie will provide linebacking depth for the Colts and knows new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's defensive style well after playing for him the last four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. In addition to providing linebacker depth, the 27-year-old could be a key asset on special teams. The Colts are very thin at linebacker after seeing E.J. Speed and Grant Stuard leave in free agency. Bachie, a former undrafted free agent out of Michigan State, was more of a special teams player in Cincy, playing 818 snaps on special teams and only 222 snaps on defense over his 47 games with the Bengals. He ended last year on Injured Reserve with a groin injury but should be good to go for the start of the 2025 campaign this fall.

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam (Achilles), who suffered a torn Achilles last offseason, expects to be cleared in time to participate in training camp. The former fourth-round pick out of Eastern Washington by the Los Angeles Rams in 2017 joined the Colts in 2023 and led the team in sacks (9.5) right away. However, his major lower-body injury cost him the entire 2024 campaign. On the bright side, he will have nearly a full year to cover before getting back to action. The Colts ranked 25th in total sacks (36) a season ago, so his return to health could be a nice boost for new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He could also help take pressure off young pass rushers Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu. Ebukam has tallied 281 tackles (176 solo), 33 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, one interception, and nine pass deflections across 113 career games.

According to James Boyd of The Athletic, Spencer Shrader is the favorite to win the team's starting placekicking duties for 2025. Last season, Shrader kicked for the Colts in Week 1 due to an injury to Matt Gay. The Colts released Gay this offseason and brought Shrader back. He will compete with undrafted free-agent kicker Maddux Trujillo out of Temple, but it is "his job to lose." Shrader went undrafted last offseason out of Notre Dame and kicked in one game for the Colts, one game for the New York Jets, and two games for the Kansas City Chiefs. Overall, he made all five of his field goal attempts and was a perfect nine-for-nine on extra point tries. Gay attempted the seventh-most field goals last season for Indy, so Shrader could find his way on the fantasy football radar in 2025.

The Indianapolis Colts added former Kansas State running back DJ Giddens in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and James Boyd of The Athletic believes he is poised to beat out Tyler Goodson as the team's top pass-catching back. The team added Khalil Herbert this offseason to replace Trey Sermon, but Giddens profiles as more of a receiver after snagging 50 receptions over his final two collegiate seasons. That said, Indianapolis ranked 30th in total running back targets a season ago (65), so Giddens is unlikely to have standalone upside as a backup to Jonathan Taylor. Instead, he'll be more of an interesting handcuff back that could have flex value in the case of a Taylor injury. Giddens was a fifth-rounder, though, so it's too early to assume he'll have any role in Indy's offense.