Indianapolis Colts: Best roster in the entire AFC South?

Have the Indianapolis Colts assembled the best all-around roster in the AFC South? We discuss that and more on the latest NFL Mocks podcast.

The AFC South is going to be tight in 2019 with three legitimate division title contenders and one question mark in the Tennessee Titans. After their huge run last season, are the Indianapolis Colts the unquestioned favorites to emerge from this division in 2019?

I say yes.

I also say they have the best all-around roster in the division, which is somewhat unbelievable if you think about the mess former general manager Ryan Grigson left behind just a couple of years ago for new GM Chris Ballard.

Ballard came over from Kansas City and there were major question marks around Andrew Luck, the offensive line, the defense in general, and having far too many old players on the roster on bad contracts.

Much like the man he was working with in Kansas City (John Dorsey) has done with the Cleveland Browns in short order, Ballard has done a masterful job of re-tooling the Colts and assembling what I believe is the best roster top-to-bottom in the entire division.

We discussed this on the most recent NFL Mocks podcast, where we talked about all things AFC South for almost 50 minutes. This was one of our longest division previews, so if you’re a fan of any of these teams, you’re welcome.

In all seriousness, Brooks and I would love to have you check out the podcast. Wherever you listen, we’ve got you covered. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spreaker. We’ll even drop the podcast right here so you can listen wherever you’re at if you’re on your mobile device or getting some work done on the computer.

So what has Chris Ballard done to this roster to change it so substantially? Here are a few things I think he’s done a good job of focusing on, despite the overall health of Andrew Luck being the main catalyst behind the Colts’ re-emergence.

Rebuilt offensive line

Who says taking a guard in the top 10 is a bad idea? It’s not a bad idea if it works out.

The Colts traded down three spots in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, took Quenton Nelson out of Notre Dame, and accumulated three additional second-round picks in the process.

That trade is looking like a win-win for both parties, as Nelson was a Pro Bowl player in year one and has completely solidified that side of the Colts’ line.

With one of their second-round picks in last year’s draft, the Colts also addressed right tackle by drafting Auburn’s Braden Smith, who was very good his rookie season as well.

Protecting Andrew Luck was paramount, and Ballard solidified a questionable unit with two home run draft picks.

Get a defensive star

The Colts didn’t luck into this one.

Pun fully intended.

Darius Leonard was not considered a lock for the high second round by any means going into the 2018 NFL Draft. The Colts saw something special in him, and took him way higher than most people thought he would go.

Leonard was one of the best defensive players in the entire NFL last season, showing off his range, pass rush ability, coverage ability, and the way he was flying around the field made it feel like the Colts had 12 guys out there on defense instead of 11.

The addition of Leonard finally gave the Colts a defender that opposing teams had to account for every week.

Supplement your stars

The Colts didn’t necessarily make the moves I would have personally made if I were their GM, but they did go out and supplement their star players by enhancing positions of strength.

Offensively, they added Devin Funchess and Parris Campbell to the skill positions despite already having some pretty strong pass catching options.

Defensively, they added Justin Houston to their pass rush and Rock Ya-Sin to an already talented secondary, but they’re surrounding Darius Leonard and the other talented players on this side with even more top-flight talent.

The Colts have star players on both sides of the ball, now the key is putting the best talent around them to make those star players unstoppable.

What Chris Ballard has done in short order is impressive. The Colts have star power and depth, and  they’ve also solidified their weakest areas over the last couple of offseasons, and now they’re a candidate to contend in 2019.