Two Indianapolis Colts have made the CBS “Top 25 Under 25″ list.
The key to building a great football team always starts with successfully drafting young stars. The Indianapolis Colts have done this, and it shows with national media and NFL recognition. Recently, CBS Sports released a “Top 25 Players Under 25″ article listing the top young players in league right now. The list took into account what players have done in the league so far, future projection, and positional value. No rookies made the list because they haven’t played in the league yet.
The Colts were one of four teams with two players on the list, and both players ended up in the top seven. Those two, obviously, are guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard.
Coming in at number seven overall was Leonard. Leonard went early in the second round in the 2018 draft, a move that was questioned right away because of how raw he looked on film. He ended up dominating in his rookie season, racking up 163 tackles, seven sacks, 12 tackles for loss, eight passes defensed, and four forced fumbles. That line earned him a Defensive Rookie of the Year award and a first team All Pro.
Coming in at number four on the list, Nelson was the only offensive lineman listed in the top 25. Nelson was also a draft pick in 2018, and regarded by many as the top player overall in the draft class. He has started in all 32 games so far in his career, and has been named a first team All Pro twice. Nelson is already talked about as one of the top guards in the league, and is sometimes referred to as the best offensive lineman in the league.
Having two young guns like Nelson and Leonard on your roster are important, and the two will likely be in Indianapolis for a long time as key cogs on each side of the ball.