Stampede Blue
Both sides of the Colts defensive front have competition for a potential new pecking order. On one side, a former Colts sack leader makes his return to try to reclaim his spot. On the other, a brand new 2nd Round rookie enters the fray to challenge a Colts veteran on the last year of his deal.
2024 1st Round Pick Laiatu Latu will have to compete against the Colts 2023 sack leader returning from an Achilles tear last July as well as longtime Colt Tyquan Lewis for snaps as the more pass rush focused Defensive End in Lou’s scheme. While Anarumo likely will mix with his rotation of 5 different Edges (perhaps even having Defensive Tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore play End at times), he loves to know he has a top pass rusher he can rely upon for a large snap count.
Latu might remind the former Bengals DC of his top pass rusher in Cincinnati, as both Latu and Trey Hendrickson have very similar athletic profiles and skill-sets coming out of college. Continuing to develop College Football’s all time leader in Pass Rush Win % will be of the utmost importance for the future of the Colts Defense. As a rookie, Laiatu showed some promise of his skillset translating well in the NFL.
If he can convert more of his pressures into sacks in year 2, we may see an even more disruptive season for the former Bruin.
When Shane Steichen was asked what he was most excited about seeing from his new Defensive Coordinator at the NFL Combine, he name dropped unprompted that he believed Ebukam would have a big impact with Anarumo. A strong endorsement from Head Coach aside, Ebukam was coming off of a very strong season in 2023 prior to his injury.
The big question is will Ebukam be back to full speed and bend when the season begins? It will be 14 month removed from his Achilles tear, which does make those odds more promising than a mid-season tear.
The darkhorse in the pass rushing end competition is Tyquan Lewis, the 2018 late 2nd Round pick who has stuck around for 7 seasons with the Colts. Lewis has had an up and down career with the Colts, with some devastating injuries in the past. However he remained largely healthy the last 2 years, although with very different results as a pass rusher in that span. His pressures, sacks, and pass rush win rate all took a hit from 2023 to 2024 as he took on a smaller role last season.
Could he have a bounce back season in a new scheme? Time will tell for the...
