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Hampered by offseason shoulder surgery, star safety Bob Sanders has seen little preseason action.

EXPERTS' PICKS

The Colts finished first in the AFC South last season with a 13-3 record. For Colts and AFC South coverage, visit Paul Kuharsky's AFC South blog. | Discuss Colts | MAG Preview

ANALYST	PREDICTION
Jeffri Chadiha ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 1   They've been rolling through this division for years and that won't change this season. If they can avoid the injuries that plagued them in 2007, they should make another run at the Super Bowl.
John Clayton ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 1  It's going to take more than a bursa sac infection to knock Peyton Manning and Colts out of the top spot in the division. Winning is infectious in Indy. The Colts are in the conference's elite trio with the Patriots and Chargers.
Tim Graham ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  The lynchpins of the offense are starting to look a tad unstable. There are real questions about Peyton Manning's knee, and Marvin Harrison isn't what he used to be.
Jeremy Green Scouts Inc.	DIVISION FINISH: 1  QB Peyton Manning is coming off knee surgery, but he should be able to knock the rust off quickly. WR Marvin Harrison looks to be back in his 2006 form, so the main health concern is DE Dwight Freeney.
Paul Kuharsky ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 1  Key injuries will be resolved in time for games that count. Talented young role players will be better. Being undersold by too many people.
Matt Mosley ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 1  Peyton Manning's injury will be a distant memory in January -- and Reggie Wayne will have a huge season.
Mike Sando ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  Peyton Manning's knee injury might mean nothing over the long term, but missing practice time can't help one of the hardest-working and most precise players in the league.
Kevin Seifert ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  Peyton Manning's knee surgery reminds everyone he is mortal and casts light on the Colts' closing window. Some of their top players -- receiver Marvin Harrison and defensive end Dwight Freeney among them -- might have seen better days.
James Walker ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 1  Talk of the Colts' demise is greatly overstated. Quarterback Peyton Manning will be fine and the team is deep enough to win short term without him. With Manning, they're always a threat to win the Super Bowl.
Seth Wickersham ESPN The Magazine	DIVISION FINISH: 1  This team has all the pieces -- when the pieces are playing, that is. It's worrisome that four of Indy's biggest stars -- Peyton Manning, Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney and Marvin Harrison -- are all entering the regular season coming off injuries.
Bill Williamson ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 2  As long as Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy are in town, the Colts will go far. But their talent level may be slipping just a little bit. That's why the Jaguars will overtake them this year.
Matt Williamson Scouts Inc.	DIVISION FINISH: 1  While Peyton Manning's injury gives a little pause, doubting him -- or this franchise -- isn't a good idea. Keeping Bob Sanders and Dwight Freeney at full speed will be imperative to the defense, but the Colts are still one of the best teams in the league.
Pat Yasinskas ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 1  Peyton Manning missed training camp, Marvin Harrison's getting old and coach Tony Dungy may be heading into his final season. Still, it's hard to pick against the Colts.
	CONSENSUS DIVISION FINISH: 1 | NFL standings

BEST OF THE COLTS

Best undrafted starter on defense: Linebacker Gary Brackett. Not only did the middle linebacker lead the Colts with 149 tackles last year, he tied for the team-lead in interceptions with four.

Best team spokesman: Center Jeff Saturday. He can, and will, speak intelligently on any subject. Saturday fits the mold of a smart and witty offensive lineman.

Best No. 2 receiver: Reggie Wayne. You can make a case for T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Anquan Boldin, but you can't argue with Wayne's productivity and his ability to be top dog last year while Marvin Harrison was out hurt.

Best guy to look the part: Safety Bob Sanders. Still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Sanders wasn't practicing in training camp. But from a distance he still looked like he had pads on.

Best months: September and October. The Colts haven't lost a game in the season's first two months since 2004 and they are 35-7 under Tony Dungy in those two months.

-- Paul Kuharsky, ESPN.com

SCOUTS INC.'S FAB FIVE

Scouts Inc. has evaluated and graded more than 2,400 NFL players heading into the 2008 season, giving Insiders a leg up on the competition with exclusive grades, alerts and scouting reports.
Top five players	ANALYSIS
1. Peyton Manning Quarterback 6-5 | 230	(Rating 96) He is a highly productive quarterback who is intelligent and instinctive. Physically, he has the size, arm strength, and accuracy every coach looks for. Manning has very few flaws and a tremendous work ethic.
2. Reggie Wayne Wide receiver 6-0 | 198	(93) He is a productive receiver who has good size and play speed. Wayne is a good overall route runner who has solid hands and adjustment skills. After the catch, he has good quickness and strength.
3. Bob Sanders Safety 5-8 | 206	(91) He is undersized, but has outstanding speed and toughness. Sanders is very aggressive and reacts quickly. When playing the run, he is quick to read and react. He has good overall range and instincts in coverage.
4. Dwight Freeney Defensive end 6-11 | 268	(88) He is an explosive athlete who is slightly undersized. As a pass-rusher, he has excellent speed and quickness. He also has very good speed and range with the ability to close quickly from the backside.
5. Dallas Clark Tight end 6-3 | 252	(81) He is an athletic tight end who is a big part of the Colts' offense. He will frequently align in the slot when they are in two-tight end sets. As a run-blocker, he has adequate strength to sustain angles and keep position.
Player grading scale: Elite (90-100), outstanding (80-89), solid starter (75-79), good starter (70-74)

SCOUTS INC.'S ANALYSIS

Best play option Everyone knows how dangerous QB Peyton Manning is, but this play reminds teams not to forget about RB Joseph Addai's explosiveness. More best plays

Strengths

Peyton Manning: He'll still be recovering from knee surgery when the season opens, but we have little doubt Manning will be ready to go when the games count. He has complete mastery over the Colts' offense and rarely makes a bad decision. It's simple: As long as Manning is on the field, Indianapolis is a contender.

Other offensive weapons: The Colts' front office has a keen understanding of its situation. The team is built around Manning, and the decision-makers keep the roster stocked with great offensive weapons. Even if WR Marvin Harrison slips a little, this is an extremely dangerous offense. Defending all of Manning's options is nearly impossible.

Coaching: From coach Tony Dungy to offensive coordinator Tom Moore to offensive line coach Howard Mudd to head coach-in-waiting Jim Caldwell, this group does an exceptional job year after year. Moore and Mudd rarely get the credit they richly deserve, but few coaches do their jobs as well. Caldwell is learning from one of the greats in Dungy.

Weaknesses

Injuries: Including Manning, the Colts have four elite contributors coming off injury. What are the chances that Manning, DE Dwight Freeney, SS Bob Sanders and Harrison all return to elite levels? The Colts are built on star power, and subtracting even one key ingredient from the mix could lead to serious problems -- especially considering the team's difficult schedule and stacked division.

Special teams: As usual, Indianapolis could struggle in this phase of the game. Because the roster is flush with expensive talent, the team can't afford to keep many veteran players who make their living as special teams aces.

Defensive tackles: The Colts have had success with their current tackles, but the interior line is at risk of regressing without an elite player in the group. With the defense turning in just average results against the run last year, the Colts need better play from this unit.

-- Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles.