Nose Tackle Josh Chapman Shines at Indianapolis Colts’ OTAs

As Organized Team Activities began winding down, and the first full-team minicamps approach, the Indianapolis Colts get a chance to take a closer look at their positional prospects for this season.

The defensive line, which has long been an issue for the Colts, is starting to look like it can be one of the strengths of this team this season. The Colts loaded up on the defensive line in the offseason, but one of their more interesting performers during OTAs has been a player they signed last year.

Nose tackle Josh Chapman was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, but was held back from a previous injury. When Chapman was a member of the 2012 National Champion team at Alabama, he suffered a devastating leg injury, which kept him off the field for his rookie season. Although he didn’t get a chance to play for the Colts in 2012, he was around for film and playbook study. As he takes the field for the first practices this season, it seems that the now-healed nose tackle has learned a lot about the scheme of this team from the time that he missed.

“He’s obviously happy to be out here, playing football again. He’s just ecstatic about being out here,” Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said.

If Chapman (6ft, 315lbs) can stay healthy, then he could possibly be the run-stuffing big-body that the Colts need in the middle. The fact that he missed the amazingly surprising 2012 season for this team seems to have sparked a fire under the second-year player. Chapman missed his rookie season due to rehab, but he could be paying off big dividends for the Colts in 2013.