One Colts UDFA Most Likely to Make Roster Following Rookie Minicamp

Although the rookie minicamp is a glorified orientation of sorts, this two-day period offers the Indianapolis Colts' evaluators and decision-makers a closer look at the young talent they've brought in.

The Colts welcomed eight draftees, twelve undrafted free agents, and also invited 31 more undrafted free agents to try out at their rookie minicamp. We've covered the Colts' 2026 NFL Draft Class in its entirety, which will largely make up the camp roster, but additional participants were admitted.

This minicamp isn't restricted to being just incoming rookies, but it also welcomes back recent draftees with little to no professional experience. The Colts brought back seven non-rookies to the mix: DT Tim Smith, WR Coleman Owen, QB Seth Henigan, G LaDarius Henderson, CB Wyatt Ekeler, LB Devin Verusek, and RB Ulysses Bentley IV.

Although this bunch is almost a shoo-in to make the team in some capacity, likely as practice squad members, this minicamp is a great start for discovering which undrafted free agents will make the cut, and one UDFA in particular has stuck out following the rookie minicamp.

As a quick reminder, here are the Colts' twelve undrafted free agent signings:

Arkansas DT Cam Ball
Wisconsin S Austin Brown
Mississippi LB Tahj Chambers
Duke WR Sahmir Hagans
Purdue WR E.J. Horton Jr.
Virginia DE Mitchell Melton
Texas State RB Lincoln Pare
Penn State OT Nolan Rucci
Arkansas WR Raylen Sharpe
Alabama C Geno Vandemark
Abilene Christian RB Jordon Vaughn
LSU LB West Weeks

It's a relatively strong group of undrafted free agents, with players like Cam Ball, Austin Brown, and Nolan Rucci particularly piquing interest, but LSU's West Weeks has left the Colts' rookie minicamp as the UDFA most likely to make the 53-man roster.

Weeks (6'1", 230 lbs) racked up 74 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a pass broken up during his final year at LSU, but was a well-known name in the SEC for his special teams prowess.

The Colts' longtime assistant general manager Ed Dodds took to the podium yesterday to answer some lingering questions that've come up over the past calendar year or so, but also to discuss the recent influx of young talent.

When discussing the undrafted free agent class, Dodds mentioned West Weeks, not only as someone that has a strong profile to make the roster, but also as someone who impressed more than expected during individual work.

"With West (Weeks), we were like, I know for a fact he's going to make an impact on special teams because he's big and fast and he's done that before," Dodds explained their initial line of thinking regarding a player of his profile.

"He's looked good out here. He's moving even better out here than he was on the LSU tape. Kinda excited about that linebacker room -- with Weeks and Tahj Chambers both."

As evidenced by Dodds' takeaways as well as the overall state of the roster, it makes perfect sense that a linebacker from the undrafted free agent class will end up finding a way onto the Colts' active roster once its all said and done.

Outside of free agent signee Akeem Davis-Gaither and the two draft picks in CJ Allen and Bryce Boettcher, the lone returner of the Colts' linebacker room (Jaylon Carlies) hardly guarantees a roster spot at this point in his career. Appearing in just 13 games across his first two seasons, the former safety convert must first stay healthy before he can be peniciled in as part of the Colts' future.

This uncertainty behind the Colts' recent draft picks at linebacker and their lone free agent signing means the door is open for a legitimate contributor, specifically on special teams, and West Weeks fits the bill with ease. Though he'd more than likely be viewed as a special teamer moving forward, his familiarity playing alongside safety A.J. Haulcy should bode well in his favor.

He'll need a strong entrance to earn himself a spot on the active roster, but Weeks is entering the summer on a high note, one that includes a seal of approval from the Colts' longtime assistant general manager.

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