Ben Banogu | DE | Age: 24
With the departure of veteran defensive end Jabaal Sheard in free agency, it was expected the Colts would add to the edge of their defensive line in some way during the offseason. Maybe it wouldn’t come in the form of a big piece, but the Colts were still expected to do so in some manner.
However, free agency came and went. The draft came and went. And the Colts didn’t add anything of import to the defensive end room. While he won’t be a starter right off the bat, Banogu has a strong chance to break out in Year 2 after a limited rookie campaign.
The Colts used Banogu sparingly during his first season, but now they will need him to step up in a bigger role. With Justin Houston and Kemoko Turay at the top of the depth chart on the edge, Banogu has a chance to be the third defensive end in the rotation.
Given how much the Colts like to rotate their defensive line players, Banogu could be in for a much larger workload for his second season. With the opportunity to meet his athleticism and bend off the edge, a breakout is waiting to happen.