Leading the way at running back for the Colts will be Jonathan Taylor, but general manager Chris Ballard likes what he saw from the trio of running backs behind Taylor this summer.
“Like the group,” said Ballard on Wednesday. “It was a really tough decision between–especially with Sermon getting hurt. But we really liked what Sermon was doing last year and in the offseason, and that includes we like some of the things Goodson did.”
Sermon carried the ball 35 times last season for the Colts, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. With the backup role up for grabs, Sermon came into the offseason the favorite for that job and solidified himself as the backup option rather quickly, bringing an added hard-nosed running style to the backfield.
The attention at the position then turned to the third-string running back spot on the depth chart–a competition between Tyler Goodson and Evan Hull. Ultimately after seeing how training camp and the preseason unfolded, the Colts chose to roster Goodson because of his more well-rounded skill-set at this time.
“We still like Hull,” added Ballard. “At the end of the day, Goodson just did a little bit more–a little more well-rounded right now. But look, Hull’s still going to be definitely in the mix with us.”
Both Goodson and Hull add a pass-catching element to the Colts’ running back room, however, where Goodson was able to separate himself in the preseason games was as a ball carrier.
Goodson flashed a big more juice with the ball in his hands, averaging 4.1 yards per carry over the preseason, including averaging 5.1 yards per attempt on his final 19 carries during the final two games.
Hull averaged 3.4 yards per rush in the preseason and outside of a 14 yard run against Arizona, didn’t find the same steady success that Goodson did. After being released, Hull was signed back to the Colts’ practice squad.
Taylor will, of course, handle the bulk of the carries at the position, but in general, the run game is going to be very important for the Colts’ success on offense this season.
For one, the combination of Taylor and Anthony Richardson in the backfield together will create a massive challenge for opposing defenses. But on top of that, a strong run game can be a quarterback’s best friend, keeping the offense ahead of the sticks and out of predictable passing situations.
“I think it’s a good, well-rounded group,” said Ballard. “And I think we’ve got a–Jonathan, who I think’s a superstar.”