Colts: 3 pass rushing free agents who should be Indy’s top focus

2. Carl Lawson

Former Bengals star Carl Lawson would be a perfect fit on the Colts.

The Cincinnati Bengals would love nothing more than to retain Carl Lawson before the legal tampering period opens, which begs the question of why they didn’t just franchise tag him. However, that should be of zero concern to the Colts, as Lawson could prove to be a steal compared to what some of the big-ticket edge rushers are projected to go for.

The former fourth-round draft pick is now three years removed from knee surgery that many worried would derail his career, and he responded by enjoying a superb 2020 season. Across 16 games (11 starts), Lawson registered 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 32 QB hits (!) and 44 pressures, earning an immaculate 84.9 pass rushing grade from Pro Football Focus in the process.

With those numbers in mind, all signs point to Lawson having at least a handful of teams vying for his services over the next few weeks. If the Colts are as serious about addressing their defensive end vacancy as reports suggest, they better be in the mix for his signature.

The Auburn product might not move the needle compared to some of the other edge rushers in the 2021 class, but he could end up being the biggest steal of the group when all is said and done depending on the deal he signs for.