The Colts will face off against the Buffalo Bills in their first preseason game and even though this offseason has been bumpy with the Jonathan Taylor situation and the Isaiah Rogers suspension, there are several areas that will be intriguing and exciting to watch this preseason.

The Cornerbacks

The cornerback room for the Colts is one of the youngest and most inexperienced groups in the league, so here are two things that I am looking for with these young corners:

Speed in coverage – The ability to keep up physically in man-to-man coverage and zone. And the ability to provide support in the run game to limit explosive runs and tackle in space.

Judging the ball in the air – The difference between a completion and a pass breakup is the ability to judge the ball while it’s in the air. A good corner has the ability to judge when to jump for the ball or when to put his hands up toward to ball to swat it away.

The Running Backs

With the Jonathan Taylor situation still up in the air and Zack Moss out with an injury, we can expect to see a lot of inexperience (except Kenyan Drake) during Saturday’s preseason game. Aside from just rushing the football, here are a couple of things to look for with the running backs:

Catching out of the Backfield – The check-down is the quarterback’s friend, especially when the play breaks down and edge rushers are crashing in.

Pass Protection – Again, another aid to the quarterback is being able to pick up an edge rusher or blitzer to give the QB that extra second or two to make a big play.

The Offensive Line

Last year, the Colts struggled early on with the ability to provide enough protection to get the ball down the field. It was pathetic to watch the quarterbacks getting little to no consistent protection. With a rookie quarterback at the helm to start this game, protecting him and providing running lanes for these inexperienced runners will be a big factor to watch.

Anthony Richardson

Naturally, we had to put the #4 overall pick in a category of his own. All eyes will be on Richardson just to see what he can do in this league. We all believe that he has potential to be great, but it has not been showcased on a large scale. With only 13 college starts, playing time in any capacity is vital for Richardson’s development and growth. In this first preseason game, I am looking for three things:

Poise – How is Richardson at the line of scrimmage and in the huddle. Does he appear to command the offense and read the defense? Is he able to be comfortable in the pocket when it’s clean and when protection breaks down?

Mechanics – Richardson has looked very good in training camp so far and a lot of that is with his improved mechanics – footwork, ball placement, and timing.

Explosive Play Ability – I do not need Richardson to put up touchdowns in his first couple of series, but I would like to see the explosive play ability either with his arm or with his legs that he showcased at the University of Florida. It would be incredible if Richardson continued the trend that Manning and Luck set by throwing a touchdown on his first NFL pass.