Overview of the Indianapolis Colts Defense
The Colts hired Lou Anarumo in 2025 to help a defense that had much to improve on. They made strides in some areas. Versus the run, Indianapolis was 7th in yards, 2nd in yards per carry, and did not give up many totes of 20+. They were more opportunistic, with their 21 takeaways tied for 10th. Indianapolis was mediocre in some areas as well, like the team's 39 sacks, tying for 17th. The defense had its share of struggles also, finishing 21st in scoring while struggling greatly against the pass. Only the Cowboys allowed more yards through the air, and six teams surrendered more pass plays of 20+ yards. All things considered, they were slightly improved over the 2024 unit but still have a way to go.
DON'T MISS OUT: Sign up for our free, daily newsletter here.
In most situations involving a change of coordinators and scheme, coaches take the first year to evaluate, making sweeping personnel changes heading into year two if necessary. The organization must have deemed it necessary.
It started in free agency, where the team signed none of the top defensive targets, but a bunch of veteran contributors. They added players at all three levels, including three or four who could contend for starting jobs. In the draft, the Colts invested their highest available pick in second-round linebacker CJ Allen, then took strong safety A.J. Haulcy in the third, linebacker Bryce Boettcher in the fourth, and a pair of edge defenders in the fifth and sixth.
It was not just who the Colts added, but also who they subtracted. Gone are Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, Neville Gallimore, Eric Johnson II, and Tyquan Lewis from the defensive line. All of those players had significant roles. At linebacker, longtime starter Zaire Franklin was traded to Green Bay, and Germain Pratt was not invited back. At the third level, starters Nick Cross and Kenny Moore II, along with much of last year's depth, are out.
There will be many new faces in the lineup for 2026. How successful the Colts are will depend on how many of the changes prove to be upgrades, and how quickly they can jell.
Indianapolis Colts Defensive Line
The Indianapolis defensive line boasts one of the best tackle tandems in the league, and both are back. Grover Stewart mans the one-technique position, AKA the nose tackle, in a 4-3. At 6'4" and 314 pounds, he is not the biggest to play the position, but he is one of the more productive. Stewart is a hard-to-move rock in the middle of the run defense. He holds up well against double teams and does a great job of getting off blocks to make plays. He is a big man without much wiggle as a pass rusher, but will contribute by bull-rushing blockers and forcing the passer out of the pocket.
Stewart turned in career-best numbers across the board in 2022. His 44 solo tackles were tied for the second most by an interior lineman that season. Unfortunately, that remains a career outlier for the ten-year veteran. He had a good season in 2024, and his 55 combined stops last year helped Stewart land at DT21, despite his failing to record a sack. We can count on Stewart for 50 or so combined stops, and he may land a sack or two. That is enough to make him a decent DT2, but there is no upside.
DeForest Buckner is the Colts' starter at the three-technique and is a perennial tier-one elite. In nine seasons as a pro, he has never totaled fewer than 35 solo or 59 combined stops when playing at least 12 games. Buckner is one of the league's premier inside pass rushers with 72 career sacks. His personal best of 12 came in 2018, and he has at least seven in each of the six seasons leading up to 2025. Buckner had eight forced fumbles and seven recoveries in the previous six years, and consistently knocks down at least three passes a season. Most importantly for IDP managers, from 2018 to 2024, Buckner did not finish outside the top five, including back-to-back number ones in 2019 and 2020 and a return to the top in 2023.
A glance at Buckner's raw numbers from last season would suggest that he had a down year. Most defensive tackles would consider 30-17-4 a good season. Buckner recorded them in ten games, missing the other seven with a sore neck. Indeed, injuries have become a concern.
Buckner was an iron man for eight seasons. He missed five games in 2024 and seven in 2025. His snap counts are always near the top at the position, league-wide. Thus, at age 32, he has played a lot of football and is high mileage. There is no drop-off in his production when healthy, and Buckner remains a favorite to make the top five again, but there is more risk than in years past.
Although losing either starter would hurt, between 2023 fourth-round pick Adetomiwa Adebawore and the handful of veterans they added to fill the depth chart, the Colts are in good shape at tackle. Adebawore should pick up the majority of the backup snaps and is in line for Buckner's spot should he retire or move on when his contract is up at the end of the season. With both starters north of 32, the organization will need to address the position before long.
Kwity Paye was a mainstay in the Colts' lineup over the last few years, but the former first-round pick never lived up to the expectations that came with his draft position. In reality, Samson Ebukam was probably a bigger loss. In dumping three of last year's top four edge defenders, Indianapolis gets much younger and potentially much better.
The organization has never been shy about investing in the edge position. Following the established trend, 2024 first-round pick Laiatu Latu had a quiet rookie year and stepped up nicely in year two. At 27-19-9 with 4 takeaways, including an unheard of (for an edge defender) 3 interceptions, Latu made his top-20 debut at number 17.
Latu is tall at six feet five and has a big wingspan that gives both blockers and quarterbacks fits. He runs a 4.64 in the forty-yard dash, which is not bad for a 259-pound man. He is mature beyond his years, uses combination moves rarely seen by young players, has an exceptional motor, and doesn't stay blocked for long. Between the Colts' aggressive scheme, Latu's skill set and work ethic, and the fact that he was on the field for 756 snaps last year, he has the potential to become one of the elite at the edge position. At the very least, he will be no stranger to the top 20 in years to come.
Last year's second-round pick, Jaylahn Tuimoloau, doesn't come with the expectations of a first-rounder. He saw limited action as a rookie, picking up 215 snaps, but with the depth chart cleared above him, he has a chance to step up in year two. The potential and opportunity are certainly there. As a senior at Ohio State in 2024, he was 35-26-12.5 over 16 games, including playoffs.
Tuimoloau will not be handed the starting job, though. Veteran Arden Key lacks the pure talent and upside of the younger player, but he is a solid, three-down edge defender with plenty of starting experience. Key is not much of an IDP factor, other than his potential to hold back the second-year guy for another season.
Michael Clemons adds more veteran depth, but is not likely to land a big role. The Colts added more youth at the position with the selection of George Gumbs Jr. and Caden Curry in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively. The rookies are raw developmental projects with the potential to evolve into starters.
- DE Laiatu Latu – Solid ED2 with breakout potential
- DE Jaylahn Tuimoloau – Sleeper who could surprise in his second season
- DE Arden Key – Marginal value at best
- DE Michael Clemons – No impact expected
- DE George Gumbs Jr. – Raw but talented rookie
- DE Caden Curry – Dynasty watchlist
- DT DeForest Buckner – Quality DT1 with elite upside and some injury risk
- DT Grover Stewart – low-end DT2 or solid depth
- DT Adetomiwa Adebawore – Injury sleeper with dynasty potential
- DT Jerry Tillery – No impact expected