Colts wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne had to double-check the hat he wore Thursday had the right word on it.
"Opportunity," Wayne said, taking off his hat to confirm he, indeed, had a hat with that word on it. "It's the word of the day. Everybody's got an opportunity to display their talents. Obviously, you don't want to see any of your teammates gone, but the fact of the matter is, they are, and that's an opportunity for these guys to step in."
Wayne, here, was specifically talking about the Colts' wide receiver room, which shipped off Keenan Allen and Josh Downs before Tuesday's trade deadline and remains without Alec Pierce, who's on injured reserve with a heel injury. One of those receivers who should see an increase in playing time is Deion Burks, the fourth-from-last pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In fact, of the Colts' eight selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, at least six are in line to start or play key roles on offense or defense Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Safety AJ Haulcy, who missed Week 9 with an ankle injury, would make it seven if he's healthy enough to return to the starting role he's held this season.
Of those eight picks, Burks and left guard Jalen Farmer were thrust into bigger roles due to the trades of Allen and guard Quenton Nelson, respectively. Others have competed to earn more playing time, like linebacker CJ Allen, defensive end Caden Curry and running back Seth McGowan. And with linebackers Akeem Davis-Gaither (knee) and Jaylon Carlies (neck) out for Week 10, look for Bryce Boettcher to get a good amount of run at WILL linebacker next to Allen at the MIKE.
"I truly am excited for these guys to step up and go compete," head coach Shane Steichen said. "And these guys get a great opportunity to go play in the National Football League, and go see what they can do."
The Dolphins have played this way for most of the 2026 season, with seven of their draft picks appearing in all eight of their games and others – like first-round tackle Kadyn Proctor and third-round wide receiver Caleb Douglas – starting the majority of Miami's games as well. Quarterback Kyle McCord, a 2025 sixth-round pick, will make his first career start in place of the injured Malik Willis on Sunday as well.
And while the Dolphins are 1-7, they're very much a frisky team – three of those losses were by one score to the Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots; they lost, 19-9, to the Detroit Lions last weekend. They haven't lost by more than 10 points since September as some of their young players have taken advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
For the Colts' 2026 draft class, a similar opportunity awaits over the final half of this season. And what those guys, from Allen to Burks, put on tape – and how they contribute to, hopefully, winning games – will go a long way toward determining their roles in 2027 and beyond.
"This is the team that we have the rest of the year," safety Cam Bynum said. "Now it's time to go, and go win some games."
