Most of the attention on the defensive line for the Indianapolis Colts will go to DeForest Buckner and Justin Houston, but the group’s coach in Brian Baker doesn’t believe another name should be flying under the radar as it does.
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Next to Buckner on the interior at the one-technique, Grover Stewart will be entering his fourth season in the league and his second as a starter. As he continues to develop his game, Stewart brings a blend of size, burst and strength that benefits the entire front seven.
Baker had a particular comparison for Stewart’s role on the middle of the defensive line.
“He does play like a barroom brawler. Grover is a big, explosive guy. He does ‘snot bubble’ guys. He has a unique, athletic skill set where he can hit guys and get off, and still penetrate and make plays,” Baker said last week. “He’s our bouncer of the group. I call him the rottweiler, where those other guys are greyhounds.”
A former fourth-round pick out of the Division-II Albany State in 2017, it took some time for Stewart to develop his game into that of a starter. He had a strong 2019 season taking over in the A gap for the Colts and will be battling to keep that role in 2020.
Life should be a bit easier for Stewart as well thanks to the addition of the aforementioned Buckner. With the latter taking on plenty of double teams, Stewart should enjoy his share of one-on-one battles.
What the future holds for Stewart remains to be seen, but the Colts love his brawler skill set in the middle of the defensive line.
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