Defensive Player of the Year: DE Justin Houston

Though the Colts defense was streaky during the entirety of the season, Houston was as consistent as ever and gave the Colts a strong presence from the edge. When Chris Ballard signed him to a two-year deal, the hope was Houston would provide some extra pass rush help. He proved to be the unit’s most effective weapon when getting after the passer.

Houston finished with 10.0 sacks, 18 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for loss—all of which led the defense. He was also extremely reliable from an availability standpoint. He led the defensive line in snaps played (675) and played all 16 games for the first time since 2014.

The Colts are hoping to get some development out of their younger pass rushers for the future, but it was a treat to watch Houston consistently wreck backfields and apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks.