Under the current regime, the Indianapolis Colts have found themselves with an embarrassment of riches at the linebacker position. Among them is second-year backer Bobby Okereke.
A third-round pick from the 2019 draft class, Okereke emerged as a strong producer for the Colts during the second half of his rookie campaign. He played on 41.3% of snaps over the final 10 games as the third linebacker in the room, which is a strong number considering how often the Colts implement their nickel packages.
As Okereke comes into his own in Year 2, linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi echoes the notion that the Colts are expecting a big up for the Stanford product.
“Yeah, we expect big things from Bobby. He came in as a rookie and did a really nice job. Like Darius, Bobby is a guy that has great physical attributes, but also more importantly, he works really hard at it,” Borgonzi told Colts.com. “So we expect Bobby to make a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2, just in his production, his plays on the ball, interceptions, game-changing plays. Bobby has a lot of ability and we expect him to really have a great season this coming year.”
Standing in the way of Okereke taking a starting role at the MIKE linebacker position is Anthony Walker, who has been the starter since 2018. While Walker may be limited in some areas, he’s been a fantastic leader in the middle of the defense and a strong complement to Darius Leonard.
Considering the Colts only had to use a fifth-round pick in 2017 to get him, Walker has quickly become a favorite amongst the fans and the coaching staff.
But that competition between Walker and Okereke is likely the biggest the Colts have on the docket—if and when they return for training camp at the end of the month. Both players are versatile in that they can likely thrive at the MIKE and SAM positions, thought the latter isn’t used as much in today’s NFL.
“Anthony is a great teammate. The first thing (is) he’s an unbelievable leader. He’s a leader of the defense,” said Borgonzi. “He’s very smart. He’s a guy that can play multiple positions for us. He can play MIKE, he can play WILL, he can play SAM, so his versatility is unmatched. Everybody in the locker room respects him just because of how hard he works, both on and off the field. So he’s really a true leader of our defense.”
The linebacker corps is one of the deepest positions on the roster, and the Colts are excited to see what the competition will bring out in both Okereke and Walker.
For the former, it could mean taking a starting role in Year 2 next to one of the best linebackers in the game.