The Colts have been very impressed with their rookie linebacker so far. But how good could he be for the rest of his career?
Darius Leonard has been proving people wrong his whole life. He hasn’t stopped now that he’s in the NFL. He has already won a Defensive Player of the Week award and has the talent to win even more. But how much talent does he have?
Leonard can be Pro Bowl talent this season. His numbers already reflect that ability. If he can continue to play as well as he has, he will make the Pro Bowl this year. He has already made the Colts defense better, and now the defense as a whole is pretty good. He transformed the whole unit.
The Colts weren’t sure that they were going to get this type of production when they drafted him out of South Carolina State. The Colts had to be concerned with him jumping up to the NFL level straight out of FCS. All of those thoughts have to be gone now though.
We’ll see how soon he can make an All-Pro team. I believe he can make an All-Pro team as soon as next season. That’s how much talent this kid has. The only thing he needs to get better with is his coverage. Once he can get a little better there, he’ll have the whole package.
The defense will only get better around Leonard as well. If that happens, Leonard will get more accolades because the whole unit will be better. He is already the best defender on the Colts. As a rookie. Let that sink in for a moment.
Leonard will continue to make plays, and that will eventually translate into Colts wins.