The receiving core for Indianapolis was less than stellar last year with their leading receiver, Michael Pittman Jr., far and away leading the team with 99 receptions but for only a 9.3 yard average. He also lead the team in TD receptions with only 4 and for everyone on that receiving line, tight ends included, there was a struggle to get open and push the ball down the field.

With new head coach, Shane Steichen, the point of emphasis is as he stated, “throw to score points” and “run to win games”. In order to achieve this feat, the receivers will need to help their QB by getting down the field and finding holes in the defense.

There are expectations for Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce, so they will be left off this list as well as receivers listed as #1 on the depth chart. The goal with this list is to highlight some guys who might fly under the radar this offseason but have the potential to help the Colts be successful.

Isaiah McKenzie

After getting cut by the Buffalo Bills, 7-year WR Isaiah McKenzie was signed by the Colts this offseason and the hope is that he can replace Parris Campbell in the slot receiving game and to serve as a kick and punt returner. In 2022, McKenzie had 42 receptions for 423 yards and 4 TDs which, as a slot receiver for an explosive Bills team, those are numbers are fairly solid.

One of many areas where the Colts struggled last year was in the redzone and this was due in large part to bad QB play, but also a lack of separation created by receivers. Slot receivers can be very dangerous in the redzone and according to Next Gen Stats, McKenzie averaged 3.3 yards of separation which is better than Pittman Jr. (2.7) and comparable to Parris Campbell (3.5). An interesting stat line on McKenzie is his win rate versus man coverage. According to Player Profile, McKenzie had a 40.9% win rate in that department. Coupling his success against man coverage and his ability to separate, the Colts should feel good about the addition of Isaiah Mckenzie in this offense.

Kylen Granson

Granson was one of the more consistent receivers for the Colts last year, but he does not see a lot of playing time compared to his teammates. He did have an ankle sprain that sidelined him for 3 games, but his production nearly tripled in every category from his rookie year. He also lead the Colts tight ends in receptions last year (31) but has yet to score a TD. Right now he is listed as the #2 TE on the Colts depth chart, but his spot could be challenged by rookie TE in Will Mallory as they both have potential as receiving TEs.

Mike Strachan

This seventh-round receiver out of Charleston has been an interesting case to crack for Indianapolis. Although he has a big frame at 6’5″, he has not been able to step up and produce for the Colts. This is also said in light of the fact that he has not had a lot of playing time nor has there been any reports of poor practicing. He has had very good preseason numbers, but sees very minimal regular season playing time.

The one hope for Strachan is that the Colts keep him on the roster, so there must be something that they think he can offer. The issue is, can Strachan produce in such a way to get more playing time? This remains to be seen and it will start with training camp.

Breshad Perriman

The newest WR for the Colts is a veteran 1st round draft pick Breshad Perriman. Throughout his 9 years in the league, Perriman has yet to have a season above 650 yards and his career numbers are quite unimpressive for a first-round WR who ran a 4.3. This being said, though, Perriman is fast and can be that rotation player that gives defenses headaches and gives his QB confidence.

Perriman has all the tools and traits to be a serious deep threat. Even though he has not had considerable playing time over the last several years, he has averaged at least 12.2 yards per catch the last five seasons and something that the Colts desperately struggled with offensively was the deep ball. Hopefully Perriman can help exploit the cannon of an arm that Richardson possesses.

Will Mallory

Will Mallory was drafted in the 5th round out of Miami. In 11 games last season, he totaled 42 receptions for 538 yards, 3 TDs, and 12.8 yards per catch. He is similar in size and abilities to Kylen Granson, so securing a roster spot might be difficult unless Mallory is willing to do some work on special teams. He also missed rookie minicamp and OTAs due to a foot injury, so he will have some pressure going into training camp to produce and show what he can do. Mallory is currently listed 4th on the depth chart behind Mo Alie-Cox, so the competition between these two will be interesting to follow during training camp.