In addition to ESPN ranking each team’s overall roster heading into the 2024 season, they also picked the biggest strength for each team as well. For the Colts, that choice was fairly obvious, with ESPN selecting their interior defensive line.
It’s no secret that GM Chris Ballard has prioritized building his defense from the trenches on outward, and that was beyond evident this offseason, with the Colts re-signing Grover Stewart, adding Raekwon Davis, and extending DeForest Buckner.
In fact, if we group the entire defensive front together, the Colts will rank sixth this season in cash spending at that position, according to ESPN.
Buckner has been one of the more disruptive interior pass rushers for several seasons now and brings a well-rounded skill set to the position. Stewart is known for his run-stuffing ability, but wants to take his game to a new level this season and showcase that he can get after the quarterback as well.
Without Stewart on the field last season, the Colts weren’t nearly as stout against the run, which the addition of Davis in free agency hopefully solves. However, in Gus Bradley’s attacking defensive system, the opportunity for Davis to unlock additional pass-rush production certainly exists.
Competing for that fourth spot in the rotation will be Taven Bryan, Eric Johnson and Adetomiwa Adebawore, although with the depth that the Colts also have at defensive end, we very well could see Dayo Odeyingbo and Tyquan Lewis taking some snaps inside as well.
When you couple this interior defensive line group with who the Colts have at defensive end, that depth will allow them to create a hockey-like rotation that should result in one of the more disruptive units in football.
“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 quickest and best way to wreck any play for an offense is with immediate pressure up the middle. When that’s happening on a regular basis, there isn’t a player on the defensive side of the football that doesn’t benefit, and the Colts are very well-equipped to do just that.