With the help of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler ranked the top 10 defensive tackles ahead of the 2024 season, and featured on the list was the Colts’ DeForest Buckner.
Below is a look at what went into this ranking process:
“Voters give us their best 10 players at a position, then we compile the results and rank candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film-study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, nearly 80 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed help us break any ties.”
Buckner would come in at No. 8 in Fowler’s rankings, ahead of Kenn Clark and Javon Hargrave. The top-five included Chris Jones at No. 1, followed by Quinnen Williams, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, and Justin Madubuike.
As Fowler wrote, Buckner has been the “model of consistency,” not only since he joined the Colts in 2020 but throughout his NFL career.
In his four seasons with the Colts, Buckner has recorded at least seven sacks each season, including eight in each of the last two, and has averaged almost 54 quarterback pressures each season as well.
Last season specifically, Buckner would have the fourth-highest pass-rush grade from PFF among all interior defensive linemen, rank seventh in pass-rush win rate, and 11th in run-stop rate.
“He’s the guy that’s probably never in the top three but will always be in the top 10,” an NFL scouting director told Fowler. “Consistent. Really productive. Plays with the best motor of any of the D-linemen.”
Earlier this offseason, Buckner would sign a two-year extension that will keep him in Indianapolis through the 2026 season. The extension was worth $46 million in total and now ranks eighth in average annual contract value at the defensive tackle position.
Around Buckner, the Colts invested heavily into the defensive front this offseason. In addition to Buckner’s extension, GM Chris Ballard would re-sign Grover Stewart and Tyquan Lewis. He would also add Raekwon Davis in free agency, draft Laiatu Latu in the first round, and pick up Kwity Paye’s fifth-year option for the 2025 season.
The Colts have built what they believe is a hockey-like line rotation along the defensive front, with eight or nine players they can rely on regularly.
For Buckner, this level of depth will keep him fresh throughout games, help wear down the offensive line, and potentially create more one-on-one matchups for him to exploit.
“DeForest has been the epitome of what it means to be a Colt the last four years,” GM Chris Ballard said in a statement released by the team following the extension. “As one of the premier defensive tackles in the league, he is a destructive force on our defensive line. DeForest is one of the pillars of our locker room. His hard work, consistency, and approach to the game are vital to the success of our team.
“We are fortunate to have DeForest and the caliber of man he is representing our organization. I’m excited for him and his family on this much deserved contract extension.”