Indianapolis Colts: Defensive Position Breakdown and Depth Chart Analysis

The Indianapolis Colts have a great chance to do something great in 2015.

The roster is easily the most talented that it has ever been since Andrew Luck was drafted in 2012, and the team that reached the AFC Championship Game last year is looking to take the next step: getting to the Super Bowl.

Led by a blossoming Luck, the Colts offense should be one of the NFL's best in 2015. The team has upgraded at wide receiver and running back in multiple ways this offseason, returns one of the most diverse tight end groups in the league and added a few more (hopefully) stabilizing pieces to the offensive line.

But for the Colts to take that next step toward bringing a championship back to The Circle City, it's the defense that will need to drastically improve.

The team has made some changes heading into 2015, but the question is whether or not it will be enough.

To get a sense of where the Colts are at one month prior to training camp, we'll look at each position and break down what we can expect.

Defensive Line: Revamped or Same Old Results?

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Starters: Arthur Jones (3T), Josh Chapman (NT), Kendall Langford (5T)

Depth: Henry Anderson (5T), Montori Hughes (NT, 3T), Zach Kerr (3T, NT), David Parry (NT)

Camp Bodies: Earl Okine, Kelcy Quarles, Jeris Pendleton

Defensive line is one of the few defensive positions where it is pretty clear who will make the final roster, outside of injury changes.

The Colts generally keep just seven defensive linemen in the 3-4 defense, and those seven look to be the starters and depth listed above.

Arthur Jones, Josh Chapman and Kendall Langford will start training camp as the starting lineup, although Langford and Chapman will likely be pushed for playing time (especially as the season goes on). On paper, it looks to be very similar, perhaps worse, than last season's starting lineup, with Langford replacing Cory Redding as the only change.

But the Colts are counting on Jones bouncing back from a tumultuous debut season in Indianapolis, and depth is almost as big a key as the starting lineup in the NFL. Langford has been at his best as a backup in the NFL, but the move back to a 3-4 should help him in 2015.

The hope in that department lies in Henry Anderson, the Colts' third-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Oftentimes, placing that kind of weight on a third-round pick would seem misguided. The only third-round defensive linemen the Colts have drafted in recent years are Quinn Pitcock and Vincent Burns, after all.

But Anderson was seen as one of the most disruptive prospects in this year's draft, and was especially raved about by Pro Football Focus. If he can channel that disruption frequently in the NFL, he'll turn out to be a steal for Indianapolis and will completely change the dynamic of the team's defensive line grouping.

The Colts also hope that Montori Hughes (third year) and Zach Kerr (second) can improve as they take on more significant roles. Both players are strong, possess unnatural quickness and agility and can play multiple positions on the defensive line.

Nose tackle will be interesting to watch in that regard. Josh Chapman is expected to get the lion's share of snaps, and he's made his share of plays in the last two years. But he is replaceable, and fifth-round pick David Parry will certainly compete for snaps.

If Chapman struggles, Hughes and/or Kerr may be in play to pick up some slack as well.

Linebacker: Starters Returning, Questions Remain

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Starters: Trent Cole (ROLB), Jerrell Freeman (ILB), D'Qwell Jackson (ILB), Erik Walden (SOLB)

Depth: Jonathan Newsome (ROLB), Bjoern Werner (SOLB), Cam Johnson (ROLB), Nate Irving (ILB), Amarlo Herrera (ILB), Henoc Muamba (ILB)

Camp Bodies: Daniel Adongo, Cody Galea, Justin Shirk, Junior Sylvestre, Zack Hodges, Carlos Fields

Wild Card: Robert Mathis

All of the starting linebackers from last season are returning for Indianapolis, with Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner and Jonathan Newsome coming back on the edge and Jerrell Freeman and D'Qwell Jackson coming back on the inside.

Still, there are more questions with these two positions than perhaps any other unit on the team.

It starts at outside linebacker, where Robert Mathis' potential return mucks things up right from the beginning. If healthy, Mathis is clearly a starter, having racked up a league-high 19.5 sacks the last time he was on the field (2013).

But for now, Mathis is still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, and his return date is still unknown.

If Mathis is out, newly signed Trent Cole should start in his place at rush outside linebacker, with Walden starting in his usual strong-side linebacker position. Cole has a chance to be a key contributor for Indianapolis in 2015. The team knows he's not the Trent Cole of 2009, but he still has some pass-rushing juice left. If the load on him is lightened, he may be able to produce some game-changing plays in key moments.

Helping lighten his load in 2015 will be Newsome, who is entering his second year in the NFL. Newsome led the Colts, and all rookie edge-rushers, with 6.5 sacks last season, and NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has listed him as one of his breakout sophomores for 2015.

Another young player with a chance to receive significant snaps is Werner. The former first-round pick started last season as the starter in Mathis' absence, but was eventually overtaken by Newsome, in part due to lingering injuries. Though he doesn't possess the same pass-rushing upside Newsome does, Werner still has some promise. However, 2015 is likely his last chance to salvage a shot at a second contract in Indianapolis.

Cam Johnson has a chance to make the roster if Mathis starts the season on the PUP list, especially given how much he's stood out in OTAs and minicamp this offseason.

Inside linebacker looks to be the exact same in the starting lineup as in 2014, with Freeman and Jackson returning. But the addition of Nate Irving, formerly a Denver Bronco, does add a bit of a wrinkle. Irving started eight games in Denver last season, playing very well against the run before a torn ACL ended his season. 

With Freeman and Jackson's inconsistencies last season, Irving pushing for playing time would be a welcome factor.

The Colts also drafted rookie Amarlo Herrera in the sixth round of the draft, and he should compete with Henoc Muamba for the fourth (and likely final) inside linebacker roster spot.

Even with the additions of Cole, Irving and Herrera, pass rush and pass coverage by the linebackers remains a concern for Indianapolis. If the team can improve in those two areas, the defense will be much improved. If not, we may see similar traits that led to the Colts' postseason beatings in the last two seasons.

Cornerbacks: Studs and Duds

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Starters: Vontae Davis (RCB), Greg Toler (LCB), Darius Butler (Slot)

Depth: D'Joun Smith, Donald Celiscar, Sheldon Price, Deveron Carr, Jalil Brown, Chance Casey

Outside of quarterback and tight end, the Colts' cornerback group may be the unit with the least amount of turnover in 2015. The Colts' top three corners get the bulk of snaps in Indianapolis, and Vontae Davis, Greg Toler and Darius Butler will all return in 2015.

It's an interesting group for Indianapolis.

Davis has emerged as a stud for the Colts, being one of the most highly acclaimed corners of 2014 with a brilliant run. Davis was placed sixth on Pro Football Focus' Top 101 Players of 2014 list, and was recently named the second-best cornerback of 2014 by Bleacher Report's NFL 1000 project.

Having a cornerback who can lock down one side of the field (he doesn't move around) is a blessing that has allowed the Colts defense to do many different things with their secondary and blitz packages in recent years. Davis is the most important player on the Colts defense.

But after Davis, things get a bit hazy.

Although Toler and Butler are returning to Indianapolis, some would say that's not necessarily a good thing. Bleacher Report graded Toler out as the 101st-ranked cornerback in the NFL last season, while Pro Football Focus' grade of negative-15.0 in coverage was the 103rd-ranked cornerback mark last season.

The Colts would tell you differently about Toler, that he's a key part of their ability to play press man-to-man coverage. And to some extent, playing across from Davis puts more scrutiny on Toler as quarterbacks avoid the other side of the field. Still, it seems likely that this is Toler's last season in Indianapolis, as his contract expires next offseason.

Butler is a similar situation, albeit on a much lesser scale. He was graded at negative-3.2 by Pro Football Focus last year, ranking 67th among cornerbacks. Similarly, he was ranked 79th by Bleacher Report's NFL 1000 crew.

While Butler has been an adequate slot cornerback for the Colts, he's certainly upgradeable. He signed a two-year, $5 million contract wit the Colts this offseason, however, and will likely be around for the next two seasons.

The real key in all of this is rookie D'Joun Smith, the Colts' selection with their second pick in the 2015 draft. Smith, a feisty, physical cornerback out of Florida Atlantic, could potentially play in the slot or outside for Indianapolis. While his biggest impact will likely come next year after Toler's contract is up, he could push for playing time in 2015.

The battle for the fifth cornerback slot is completely wide-open right now, but my money would be on Donald Celiscar right now. An undrafted rookie out of West Michigan, Celiscar is very familiar with press-man coverage and also has the versatility to potentially move to safety.

Safety: Still Searching

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Starters: Mike Adams, Dwight Lowery

Depth: Clayton Geathers, Colt Anderson, Dewey McDonald, Winston Guy, Robert Smith

The Colts did make some big changes at the safety position this offseason, but the team still seems to be searching for the next game-changing starter that has been absent since Antoine Bethea departed.

The two starters, Mike Adams and newly signed Dwight Lowery, are stopgap options. Adams played very well after being signed to a one-year deal last year, and he was rewarded with a two-year, $4.85 million contract. But he's 34 and has limited playmaking ability at this point.

Lowery has been a journeyman and reserve for most of his career, and is even less of a stopgap solution than Adams, but if he can be an upgrade from LaRon Landry (released this offseason), he'll be a steal. Either way, he costs much less than the now-suspended Landry did.

Like at cornerback, however, the hope here lies in a rookie. Fourth-round pick Clayton Geathers is a bit of a raw prospect, especially in coverage, but he has the physicality and overall athleticism to be a starting safety in the league.

Geathers has already impressed in training camp, as head coach Chuck Pagano iterated to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com:

"

He’s going to be one of those guys that in today’s football you can play inside as a dime backer (to) get more speed on the field, and matchup with the tight ends that we’ve got to cover now, the backs out of the backfield and things like that. He’s doing really well. He’s going to contribute, not only on defense, but he should be an outstanding special teamer as well.

"

That sub-package dime linebacker role is where Geathers will start this year, but don't be surprised if he ends up in the starting lineup at some point, especially if Lowery struggles.

The fourth, and potentially fifth, safety spot is up in the air for now. It's largely a special teams role, which would give players like Colt Anderson (previously a special teams captain) and Dewey McDonald (special teams stud in 2014) an edge. However, Winston Guy has starting experience in the NFL and could look to regain that potential, while Robert Smith is an underrated UDFA out of Clemson.

The Big Picture

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If the Colts are going to win key matchups in the playoffs, the defense must reverse its troubling trend.

The Colts have allowed 179 points in the playoffs over the last three seasons, the most in the NFL.

On one hand, that's a testament to their ability to get into the playoffs and advance. The Colts have played in six playoff games since 2012; only Seattle (8) and New England (7) have played in more postseason contests in that time period.

On the other hand, it's still an average of almost 30 points per game, and it's been the biggest factor in the Colts' blowout losses. The Colts have allowed long scoring drives early and gotten into holes, leading to an NFL-worst minus-46 point differential in the playoffs over the last three years.

Some of this lies on personnel, some of it lies on coaching.

The Colts defensive personnel has been lacking in recent years, but a boost from a returning Mathis, free-agent additions and a defense-heavy rookie class could be helpful. But the biggest difference in a game against New England, for example, would have to come from coaching.

The team has been woefully outcoached in playoff blowouts over the last two seasons, as the Colts' seemingly average run defense has been mauled by a New England offensive line that has been rather unimpressive otherwise.

The numbers paint the Colts defense as a decent, though not spectacular group. The Colts were 13th in Football Outsiders' DVOA, 11th in total yards allowed and 19th in points allowed in 2014. They actually led the league in opponent third-down conversion rate last year.

But against the New England Patriots, as well as in a few other marquee matchups, they've looked like a bottom-dwelling group.

Based on the larger sample size, the defense is not a bottom-five, or even bottom-10 unit. So why do they keep playing like it in the season's biggest games?

That's the question the Colts coaches must answer in 2015. If they do not, Jim Irsay might start looking for somebody who can.