Indianapolis Colts: 3 potential first-time starters who need to step up in 2021

2. LB Bobby Okereke

While the Stanford product has started a handful of games, Okereke will be one of the two linebackers out there, alongside Leonard, when Matt Eberflus turns to his reliable nickel packages that he leaned on for a good chunk of last season.

Okereke made a name for himself in college due to his speed, and that speed has helped him generate turnovers in the pros. However, Anthony Walker signed a deal with the Cleveland Browns, making Okereke the unquestioned starter alongside Leonard. Has he fixed his biggest flaw?

Bobby Okereke has the potential to be a star.

Okereke’s ability to drop into coverage and make big plays deserves nothing but praise, but he’s had some difficulties with sticking his nose in between the tackles to stuff the run. Provided he’s beefed up, that shouldn’t be too egregious of an issue.

Eberflus, a former linebackers coach in Dallas, asks a lot of his linebackers in his defense, as they’re expected to cover a lot of ground on passing downs and make most of the stops whenever the offense tries to run the ball. Okereke may not be Walker, but the Colts will have to throw him into the fire.