Colts: Here’s why new DT signing could be an impact move

The Indianapolis Colts have some big holes on the roster that they need to address in a somewhat timely manner, most notably the issues on the offensive line, but their defensive line shouldn’t necessarily be neglected. DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart can only do so much.

Trawling the waiver wire might not always be the most fruitful exercise for teams like Indianapolis that need some major fixes, but Chris Ballard may have unearthed a gem in former Nebraska defensive tackle Khalil Davis.

Davis became a standout for the Cornhuskers during his college career, and he parlayed that into a selection in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His twin brother Carlos went one round later to the Steelers. Unfortunately, with all of Tampa’s depth, Davis ended up on waivers.

The Colts managed to snatch him up, as the Steelers, Titans, and Chargers all attempted to pick him up before Matt Eberflus beat him out. While he doesn’t have a ton in the way of tangible NFL production, he profiles as someone that can come in and help a defense that was sliced up easily in the first few weeks of the season.

Khalil Davis could be a solid backup for the Colts.

During his last season in Lincoln, Davis recorded 11 tackles for loss and eight sacks. After getting an invitation to the Shrine Bowl, Davis was one of the best performers in individual drills, as his combination of explosion and balance was overwhelming for some of the fringe linemen at that event.

Davis is one of the best athletes that you’ll see at the defensive tackle position. Not only was he an All-Conference selection as a thrower on Nebraska’s track team, but he ran a 4.79 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine. That explosion at 310 pounds is extremely difficult to find, and that could be his meal ticket.

Davis might not seem like a very versatile player given his size, but if he still has that same explosion, he could get some snaps as a 5-tech in addition to snaps as a backup 3-tech or 1-tech lineman. With Kwity Paye on the mend, Indianapolis could take advantage of Tampa’s surplus at the position to restock the shelves of their line.

Davis won’t fix all of the issues for the Colts on the defensive side of things, but he is a very interesting athletic piece that could get after the quarterback if he’s given a bit of an extended role. It shouldn’t be long before Eberflus puts him in the regular rotation of pass rushers.

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