Colts defense should only improve in 2019

The Colts’ defense took a major step in 2018 in almost every category. That improvement should only improve next season.

Matt Eberflus did a fantastic job in 2018. He turned around a defense that was one of the worst in football in almost every category to an above average defense. No one saw it coming. But now that it happened, the improvements should continue to happen.

A big reason why the defense should continue to get better is Darius Leonard. The rookie should only get better with more time in the NFL. He will get bigger, faster, and stronger. Leonard will be the leader of this defense for many years to come.

The large amount of cap space the Colts have will also help the defense. They should spend some of that money on some free agents that will be available. Imagine adding a Jadeveon Clowney or a Landon Collins to the defense. It would make them even more scary.

Even if they don’t elect to spend big in free agency, Chris Ballard has shown the ability to go and find good pieces that fit into the Colts’ culture and scheme. He will do the same thing this offseason. Every little improvement helps.

Perhaps the biggest reason for improvement will be Eberflus himself. He was a first time defensive coordinator. Now that he has a full season under his belt, he knows what works and what doesn’t. He will have a better understanding of how to call games.

All of these things will add up. They will equal an even better defense for the Colts than they had in 2018. Add that to an explosive offense, and that is a scary team everyone else has to face.