5 breakout stars to watch for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021

The Indianapolis Colts have a new quarterback, but these five breakout candidates will be critical cogs in 2021.

For the fourth time in his four seasons as Indianapolis Colts head coach, Frank Reich will have a new starting quarterback in 2021. But it’s one he knows well, as Carson Wentz was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles. Reich was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia for Wentz’s first two seasons.

With Philip Rivers under center last year, the Colts went 11-5 and narrowly lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. At some point the next step has to come, with roster that has a nice mix of veterans and promising young talent. General manager Chris Ballard deserves a ton of credit for a calculated rebuild/reload, but the Colts have hitched their wagon to the idea Reich can fix Wentz.

Wentz finding his form again will be the No. 1 key for the Colts in 2021. But if they can get breakout performances from these five players, a deep playoff run will be all the more possible.

5 breakout stars to watch for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.

5. Marvell Tell III, CB

Tell opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, which makes him easy to forget about. A fifth-round pick in 2019 after playing safety at USC, he moved to corner and had a promising rookie season in a small role. He had five pass breakups on 34 or 35 targets in 2019, depending on the source (Pro Football Focus or Pro Football Reference). PFF gave him a 67.6 overall grade.

Tell seems like the type of position-less secondary piece who can do multiple things in a modern NFL defense. He’s in line for a bigger role in his return to the Colts this year.