An early look at the Colts wide receiver battle

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts officially set up shop for training camp at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield ahead of the 2022 season.

The arrival of four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan is the top story as he begins work in late July for the first time without an Atlanta Falcons helmet.

Ryan’s spring with the Colts was impressive, picking up accolades from every corner of the organization for his leadership, accountability, and accuracy on the field. 

Ryan’s wide receiving core is arguably the most unproven unit in the AFC. Third-year standout Michael Pittman Jr. and fifth-year veteran Keke Coutee are currently the lone wide receivers on Indianapolis’ roster with over 400 career receiving yards.

When sizing up the rest of the competition, one of the Colts’ youngest pass catchers eager to prove himself this season is 2021 seventh-round selection Mike Strachan. 

However, Strachan likely will have to play catchup in the early going at Grand Park.

A source tells News 8 that Strachan is expected to miss the start of training camp on Wednesday as he continues to work back to full strength from an undisclosed injury. 

In June, the former NCAA D-II wide receiver from the Bahamas was injured for the team’s mandatory minicamp and spent all three days watching from the sidelines. Following a stellar training camp as a rookie, complete with multiple highlight-reel grabs, Strachan broke training camp on the 53-man roster and tallied two receptions in the Colts’ season-opening loss against Seattle.

Following Week 1, Strachan spent most of the season inactive on game days and did not record a catch for the remainder of the season. 

Including Strachan, here are the career receiving numbers that the Colts’ wideouts bring into the 2022 season (excluding rookies): 

• Parris Campbell: three seasons; 15 games played; 34 REC, 360 YDS; 2 TDs.
• Keke Coutee: four seasons; 25 games played; 84 REC, 946 YDS; 4 TDs.
• Ashton Dulin: three seasons; 43 games played; REC, 18 REC, 243 YDS; 2 TDs.
• DeMichael Harris: two seasons; 10 games played; 10 REC, 79 YDS; 0 TDs,
• Desmon Patmon: two seasons; nine games played; 2 REC, 21 YDS; 1 TDs.
• Michael Pittman Jr.: two seasons; 30 games played; 128 REC, 1,585 YDS; 7 TDs.
• Mike Strachan: one season; six games played; 2 REC, 26 YDS, 0 TDs.