ESPN ranked each team’s interior defensive line units, and the Indianapolis Colts topped the list.
Rounding out the top-five was Detroit at No. 2, followed by Seattle, Atlanta, and Kansas City.
This is a position group that GM Chris Ballard has invested heavily into during the offseason. He would re-sign Grover Stewart to a three-year, $39 million deal. Ballard signed outside free agent Raekwon Davis to a two-year, $14 million contract, along with signing DeForest Buckner to a two-year, $46 million extension.
Buckner is one of the top all-around interior defenders in the game. Last season, his 52 pressures were the most on the team and 14th overall among his position group. He would also rank seventh in pass-rush win rate and 11th in run-stop rate.
Stewart, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the NFL’s best run-stuffers, ranking 11th in run-stop rate in 2023 and fifth in PFF’s run defense grade.
With Stewart on the field for the first six games last season, the Colts allowed just 3.7 yards per rush. However, without him for the following six games, the Colts gave up 4.9 yards per rush attempt. This is where the addition of Davis will come into play, bolstering the Colts’ run defense depth when Stewart isn’t on the field.
While run defense has been Stewart’s bread and butter as a player, his goal this season is to take his game to the next level, which means being more disruptive as a pass rusher.
“I just want to be an elite player, man,” said Stewart when meeting with reporters during OTAs. “I know that I’ve been labeled as one of the best run-stoppers in the league, but I want to get to that next level like I always say, man. Like everybody big on getting the quarterback, so I want to show them that I can do that too, along with stopping the run.”
Between the defensive tackles and the defensive ends, the Colts have built a hockey-like rotation with eight legitimate defenders they can rely on with little or no dropoff in play.
This will allow defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to rotate players heavily, keeping everyone fresh, and putting each player in a position where they can make the greatest impact.
“We’re a D line that rotates,” said Dayo Odeyingbo via ESPN. “You look around the league and you look at the good D lines, they pretty much all rotate a lot. They have a lot of depth. So, that’s something that helps you be fresh and be ready to play a full 17-game season.
“As far as the sharing goes, I feel like we’re kind of used to it and it’s not really about counting reps. It’s more about making the reps count.”
The best way to disrupt any play is with quick pressure up the middle. Slowing the run puts the offense in predictable passing situations while pressuring the quarterback is the name of the game.
When the interior defensive line is playing at a high level, every position benefits from it. This means more one-on-one opportunities for the defensive ends, the linebackers are kept clean to make plays, and less time in coverage for the secondary.
Ballard has always stressed the importance of building a deep defensive line rotation, and following a season where the Colts ranked fifth in sacks, the opportunity to be even more disruptive very much exists.
“This is probably the best front line I’ve played with,” said linebacker EJ Speed when meeting with reporters this offseason.