Avery Williamson isn’t a household name, but he may be exactly what the Colts need at inside linebacker.
The Colts used a makeshift group of inside linebackers last season because there were so many holes on the roster that Chris Ballard couldn’t fill all of them in one offseason. Now that Ballard has found some solutions at other spots on the roster, it’s time to upgrade the inside linebacker position.
It’s difficult to quantify the production of inside linebackers because we know that tackle numbers can often be meaningless, and inside linebackers don’t often rack up other statistics like interceptions or sacks.
Avery Williamson is one of those players that has an impact that normal box score numbers can’t capture, but every time you watch a Titans game it becomes obvious that he’s making plays all game long. Williamson had the best 20-yard shuttle time of any inside linebacker at the NFL Combine coming out of college, and his short area quickness shows on film on Sundays.
Williamson could add a dynamic element to the Colts defense at inside linebacker that they haven’t had since Jerrell Freeman left.
If Chris Ballard could add a couple of inside linebackers of Williamson’s caliber to go behind the run-stuffers he’s already acquired along the defensive line, the Colts run defense could be impenetrable in 2018.
Next: 5 Potential Targets if the Colts Trade Down in the NFL Draft
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