The defensive, pass stopping trend continued on day two with the Colts taking DE Tarell Basham with the 80th pick in the NFL Draft.
Pass rusher was perhaps the Colts greatest need entering draft night. Leaning on Robert Mathis wasn’t an option anymore so the Colts picked up Ohio defensive end Tarell Basham. He was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year with 11.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2016.
Going a bit deeper into his stats, Basham recorded nine QB hits and 52 hurries. He also defended a pair of passes.
He was a hybrid player at Ohio, splitting time between a three point stance and standing up. He has the athleticism to play either the DE role or the EDGE outside linebacker the Colts need in the current scheme.
Following the pick, the Colts started earning praise for their offseason.
Whew. Were I a #Colts supporter, I would be overwhelmingly pleased with my team's offseason transactions.
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) April 29, 2017
The Colts didn’t reach with the pick and found someone with the athleticism to be a top-tier pass rusher. He might not develop into an all-timer with the Colts, but the burst he can provide off the edge is something they haven’t had since Mathis’ 2013 campaign.
While the Colts likely drafted Basham for his pass rushing, he might be slightly better in run support. He recognizes plays quickly, has the speed to get to elusive backs, and is a powerful tackler.
When it comes to pass rushing, his move set is surprising because he has a tendency to favor the bull rush and it is quite effective. Basham needs to add to his skill set, but for this sort of athlete it shouldn’t be a problem. Basically, Basham has every trait you want in an elite pass rusher, he just has to keep developing.
As another bonus, he’s not too bad in coverage and has the speed to keep up with most offensive skill positions.
"Bottom line: Basham’s motor makes him easy to root for. He plays at 100 miles an hour snap after snap with no regard for his body. That said, he’s not a natural on the edge by any means and is more of a bull in a china shop at this point. Basham is definitely one of the more intriguing mid-round pass-rushers at this point."
The Colts don’t exactly have a lot of starter quality talent across the linebacking corps and that should allow Basham to get a shot at significant snaps. Expect the Colts to rotate their linebackers regularly and for Basham to show up on third downs as a pass rush specialist early in his career.
If he can make the most of his early snaps, he could take of the starting role. With the picks up safety Malik Hooker and CB Quincy Wilson, the Colts are shoring up all their defensive needs on the first two days of the Draft.
It will be interesting to see how these three develop as they’ll all have a direct impact on one another’s careers. If Basham pressures the QB, it could lead to a mistake and takeaway for Hooker or Wilson. If the latter two lock up receivers, it’ll lead to sacks for Basham.
While it is early, and GM Chris Ballard has only made three picks, it is hard to not get excited about the Colts draft so far. They still need to look at an inside linebacker, a running back, and possibly a punter in the remaining rounds.