The Indianapolis Colts are hoping to return from their summer break on July 28 for training camp, barring any changes. We will be previewing the majority of the roster as the summer progresses.
Name: Ben Banogu
Position: DE
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 252
Age: 24
Free Agent Year: 2023
Background
Banogu enters his second season after playing mostly a limited role during his rookie campaign. He played in all 16 games but recorded only 2.5 sacks and one tackle for loss while playing 26% of the defensive snaps.
Expected Role
It should be expected that Justin Houston and third-year defensive end Kemoko Turay are he starters on the edge for the Colts. But after an offseason went by without the Colts adding to the defensive end room, Banogu has a clear path to be the third player on the depth chart if he continues to develop.
2020 Outlook
While the Colts drafted Banogu to be a “jack of all trades,” the TCU product has worked mostly at defensive end. That trend should continue in Year 2, especially after the Colts didn’t add anything significant to the room. Banogu has the athleticism and bend to be a solid pass rusher from the edge but must continue developing his plan when attacking the edge.
The Colts are hoping that Banogu can continue his development to the point where he can be relied upon in the rotation at defensive end behind Turay and Houston. He also faces some competition with Al-Quadin Muhammad, Tyquan Lewis and Denico Autry.
Bottom Line
Banogu has a lot of upside as an intriguing pass rusher. He played a limited role his rookie season but if he continues to show improvement in his consistency and pass-rush plan, he could be on his way to a bigger role in 2020.