Indianapolis Colts' TE Will Mallory building momentum during offseason programs

Indianapolis Colts' tight end Will Mallory has been building momentum during offseason programs as he looks to carve out a more prominent role in his third NFL season.

As the Indy Star's Joel Erickson noted in his minicamp takeaways, Mallory has been targeted often, regardless of whether it's Daniel Jones or Riley Leonard at quarterback.

"Mallory has been a frequent target of both quarterbacks during the team’s offseason workouts, and Leonard hit him three times in four plays to start the second unit’s two-minute drill on Sunday," wrote Erickson. "Mallory has a knack for finding holes to sit in coverage, although he doesn’t have Warren’s ability to run after the catch."

This isn't the first we've heard of Mallory this offseason, either. Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle recently highlighted Mallory's performance during OTAs.

A fifth-round pick by the Colts in 2023, Mallory's playing time in his first two NFL seasons has been minimal. This includes playing just 93 offensive snaps in 2024 and totaling just eight targets, per PFF.

But with Kylen Granson now in Philadelphia, there may be more of an opportunity for Mallory to see the field this season, even with the addition of Tyler Warren.

While Warren will certainly impact the passing game, he's also going to be utilized as a blocker quite often as well. And in those instances, in Shane Steichen's offense where 12 personnel is used often, Mallory could be the second tight end on the field, specifically filling that pass-catching role.

With Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree primarily filling blocking roles, Mallory may be best equipped to provide that pass-catching presence to pair with Warren.

Of course, the caveat here is that we are still a long ways off from Week 1, and ultimately, what happens during training camp, when the pads come on and the intensity is kicked up several notches, will play a key role in determining what kind of role Mallory has this season.

However, with that said, Mallory has laid a strong foundation this offseason, providing himself with a jumping off point heading into the summer.