Stephen Holder | IndyStar

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INDIANAPOLIS – Colts General Manager Chris Ballard promised big changes to the roster from the day he walked through the door in 2017. Since then, he’s offered periodic reminders that change will remain a constant.

After a league-high 11 draft selections over the weekend, 64 of the 87 Colts players currently on the roster were acquired by Ballard since he arrived 16 months ago (this total does not include college free agents, who aren’t officially signed just yet).

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If you somehow spent the past year and a half on Mars, you’d barely recognize this team upon your return to earth.

Those changes will make for a much different lineup in 2018. Let’s take a look at what the team’s two-deep lineup might look like if the season started today. Keep in mind, these are very rough, but educated, guesses.

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Offense

Quarterback: Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett

If Luck continues on his road to recovery from his shoulder issues, this unit won’t be a subject of any debate. Brissett looks like a fixture. Ballard even turned down multiple recent trade offers for him. Brad Kaaya could be an interesting training-camp and preseason player to watch.

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Running back: Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines

I was tempted to include Robert Turbin among the top two, but this is just a difficult position to forecast. Running back is going to be among the most competitive units on the roster. The Colts drafted Hines and Jordan Wilkins on Saturday and are excited about both. But Ballard is also high on returner Matt Jones and even envisions Josh Ferguson having a possible role in Frank Reich’s offense.

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Wide receiver 1: T.Y. Hilton, Chester Rogers

Rogers had a sensational training camp last year but was sabotaged by an injury that limited him in the regular season. He needs to do that again if he wants to prove he deserves to start.

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Wide receiver 2: Ryan Grant, Daurice Fountain

This projection is not made much confidence because who knows what either rookie receiver (Fountain or Deon Cain) can truly become in their first seasons? But both have significant potential to contribute immediately.

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Tight end 1: Jack Doyle, Erik Swoope

It remains to be seen how much the addition of Eric Ebron impacts Jack Doyle’s role in the offense. It might not be as much of an issue as you’d think though, because Reich is a big proponent of extensive use of the tight ends. This is also a big season for Swoope, whose development was interrupted by a knee injury last season.

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Ebron won’t have to fulfill the role of No. 1 tight end here, as he did in Detroit. He was an inconsistent performer with the Lions, but Reich has big plans for using him as a de facto receiver. We got only a glimpse of Travis last season, but this will be an offense that plays to his strengths.

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Left tackle: Anthony Castonzo, Denzelle Good

Castonzo was far and away the Colts’ best lineman in 2017. Good might be a contender to start at right tackle, but if not he’s certainly quality depth.

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Left guard: Quenton Nelson, Jack Mewhort

Nelson was a left guard at Notre Dame, so this looks like a no-brainer. Keeping him at the same spot at which he’s played makes for an easier transition to the pro level for the rookie taken sixth overall. Mewhort’s health is a big wildcard for the Colts.

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Center: Ryan Kelly, Deyshawn Bond

Kelly is looking to rebound after an injury-plagued season he won’t want to remember. Bond showed some impressive play after being thrust into the lineup as an undrafted rookie last season.

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Whether this is the Day 1 lineup remains to be seen. The Colts are probably going to make Smith, the second-round pick, earn his spot. That’s especially true when his competition is a veteran like Slauson.

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Right tackle: Joe Haeg, Denzelle Good

This could easily wind up in the reverse order. The biggest question here is whether Le’Raven Clark is what we think he is or whether there’s more upside we haven’t yet seen.

Defense

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Left defensive end: Jabaal Sheard, Denico Autry

The roles on this defensive line still very much undefined. Frankly, we don’t even know how the positions will be labeled. That said, both these guys seem like a good fit for the strong side.

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Defensive tackle: Al Woods, Joey Mbu

This scheme doesn’t usually designate which tackle is the nose tackle, but at least on first downs, this seems logical. Woods’ role in this scheme will likely be very limited.

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Defensive tackle: Hassan Ridgeway, Grover Stewart

This would be the three-technique tackle spot. Of the players on the roster, Ridgeway seems best suited to play it. Stewart is quicker than he looks. Keep in mind, there will be some interchangeable parts here, with ends like Autry and second-round pick Tyquan Lewis capable of being interior rushers.

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Right defensive end: Tarrell Basham, Kemoko Turay

A mere guess, honestly. I have no idea what to do with guys like John Simon and Margus Hunt, who will be impacted by the change in defensive scheme. We’ll have to let this play out some more.

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Strong-side linebacker: Antonio Morrison, Anthony Walker

Morrison isn’t a scheme fit from a speed standpoint. But he can’t be totally dismissed as an option for the strong side because this position will generally be used only in the base defense.

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Middle linebacker: Najee Goode, Matthew Adams

The Colts selected a pair of seventh-round linebackers, so who knows what they’re going to get out of them? Goode is a likelier option, at least early on, while the young players develop.

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Weak-side linebacker: Darius Leonard, Jeremiah George

Leonard has a chance to be a real playmaker for the Colts. He’s a perfect fit for coordinator Matt Eberflus’ scheme, and he’ll be asked to cover a lot of ground as a sideline-to-sideline tackler.

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Left cornerback: Quincy Wilson, Nate Hairston (slot)

Wilson gets an entire offseason in the driver’s seat and should develop as a result. Hairston seems to have found a home in the slot.

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Right cornerback: Pierre Desir, Kenny Moore II

The Colts didn’t use any of their 11 draft picks on a cornerback, so this is a pretty solid projection. Desir is a nice stopgap option to hold the Colts over to the future.

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Strong safety: Clayton Geathers, T.J. Green

Geathers had a late start to last season because of the neck injury. He’s hoping for a faster start in 2018.

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Free safety: Malik Hooker, Matthias Farley

Whether this is the lineup from the start of the season depends on the speed of Hooker’s recovery from his torn ACL. Farley has gotten a lot of experience the past two seasons and is a key special-teamer.

SPECIALISTS

Place kicker: Adam Vinatieri

This could be his farewell season. Enjoy it accordingly.

Punter: Rigoberto Sanchez

Pat McAfee’s successor helped ensure that the Colts didn’t miss McAfee too much last season.

Long snapper: Luke Rhodes