​As training camp draws near, we’re zeroing in on the single most pressing question facing each Indianapolis Colts position group. This time, we turn our attention to the wide receivers. Rather than fixating on Alec Pierce and his potential to assume a clear WR1 role, we’ll explore a different aspect: the battle for WR3 that will unfold this summer.
With Michael Pittman Jr. in Pittsburgh, the third starting wide receiver spot is up for grabs. A cluster of players is in the mix to claim that role, including Ashton Dulin, Laquon Treadwell, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Deion Burks. Through the offseason programs, Dulin appeared to stand out early, seemingly gaining the initial edge in this competition. Yet with training camp and preseason still ahead, the outcome remains far from settled.
Even with Pittman sidelined from the equation, the Colts face a substantial task in replacing the volume he produced last season. Pittman led the team with 110 targets, a number that reflects his role as the primary receiver and focal point of the passing game. However, the responsibility for bridging Pittman’s production won’t rest on the shoulders of WR3 alone. The Colts will need a collective effort from the passing attack, leveraging the contributions of their top playmakers as well as emerging depth.
Pierce and Downs have already established themselves as core pieces in the receiving corps, while Tyler Warren provides another dimension as a versatile contributor. In this context, the WR3 spot may not be a fixed assignment on the depth chart. It’s plausible that the Colts deploy a rotating group of players at the WR3 position, varying by opponent, formation, and in-game situations. Such a rotation would allow the staff to tailor matchups and keep defenses off balance, rather than banking solely on a single fill-in for Pittman’s production.
This dynamic also means the competition will extend beyond Dulin’s early edge. While he may enter camp as a frontrunner, the evaluative process will consider how each candidate adapts to the role—especially when faced with different coverage schemes, route trees, and special-teams contributions. The coaching staff will, as always, weigh consistency, reliability, and in-game versatility, looking for a WR3 who can contribute as a precise route runner, a reliable target on critical downs, and a dependable option in the red zone when Pittman is not the primary focus.
In sum, the WR3 contest is less about isolated raw numbers and more about the Colts’ broader offensive philosophy. Can they assemble a productive trio that presents multiple credible threats on any given snap? Will a rotating group at WR3 yield the best overall balance against varied defenses, or will one player emerge as the clear successor to Pittman’s production in certain matchups? The answers will emerge through the summer grind of training camp and the ensuing exhibition games, as Indy charts a path forward for a wide receiver corps looking to maintain its potency even as it adapts to Pittman’s temporary absence.
This overview originally appeared on Colts Wire under coverage of the key question for the Colts’ wide receiver position as training camp approaches.