It was pretty evident this offseason how the Indianapolis Colts felt about defensive tackle DeForest Buckner as a talent.
Not only did they trade the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft—a rare move for Chris Ballard—but they immediately signed him to a four-year, $84 million extension. It was clear they saw his talent as an elite producer at one of their biggest needs.
Through four weeks, Buckner hasn’t just lived up to expectations. He’s exceeding them. The Colts thought more highly of Buckner maybe than most did, and he’s giving them more than what they expected.
“I would say that just visiting with other people around the league, the guys that have worked with him that I know and just his reputation, I think for me exceeded what they were saying,” said DC Matt Eberflus this week. “You really can never put an example or a way of saying what kind of guy he is. You don’t really know that until you start to visit with him and talk to him – what kind of family guy he is, what kind of character he has and the effect he’s going to have in the locker room. Sure they say things like he works hard, he hustles. You can see that on tape and what kind of practice player he is. He’s all that and more, but just the kind of character he has is really amazing.”
Buckner leads the Colts with 15 total pressures while leading the defensive line with 10 run stops, per Pro Football Focus. It has been a strong opening quarter of the season for the 26-year-old, and he only seems to be getting better.
From his production on the field to his demeanor at practice and in the locker room, the Colts couldn’t be happier with what they got out of the trade with the 49ers.
“So we knew this, when we made the trade for DeForest; we had heard out of San Francisco that the way he practices and shows up each and every day is the same, just like gameday,” said GM Chris Ballard. “And sometimes it doesn’t catch on right at first, but eventually everybody follows suit, and DeForest has been exactly — and even more — than I expected. But he’s in the building every day about 6:30, he’s got a great routine that he follows, and then practice is like a game to DeForest. He is a really true pro; we feel very fortunate to have him.”
The Colts have been wanting a disruptive presence on the interior defensive line ever since Ballard took over the front office in 2017. It seems they have that in Buckner, who continues to lead one of the best front-sevens in the entire NFL.
[vertical-gallery id=51438]