Zaire Franklin has been leading the Indianapolis Colts defensively and has emerged as one of the best linebackers in the league this season.
At the end of training camp, as the regular season was approaching, the Indianapolis Colts still hadn’t announced whether Shaquille Leonard would be back in time for regular season games. While fans obviously wanted to see Leonard on the field, everyone knew the Colts had great linebacker depth. With Bobby Okereke, Zaire Franklin, and EJ Speed, there was an expectation that the defense would survive until Leonard was healthy and ready to go.
Through five games, the defense hasn’t just survived but they have been thriving as one of the best units in the league. While just about everyone has been solid defensively for Indianapolis, three players have really stood out. Those players are Grover Stewart, Stephon Gilmore, and Zaire Franklin.
Franklin has been the linebacker filling in for Leonard and he hasn’t only been playing great for the Colts, but he’s been having some of the best linebacker play in the NFL. Franklin currently leads the league in tackles with 54.
Colts bail into Tampa 2 after showing single high pre-snap. Zaire Franklin is given a tough assignment with Jerry Jeudy over the middle.
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) October 8, 2022
Excellent positioning and technique from the young linebacker to get the pass break up: pic.twitter.com/qjqG2WgsRe
Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin leading the NFL in tackles
Obviously, tackles aren’t everything. Sometimes subpar players lead the league in tackles, however, that isn’t the case with Franklin. In his fifth season in the league, and with Indy, Franklin isn’t just racking up meaningless tackles, he has been doing a lot of good things for the defense.
The Colts have the eighth-overall defense and the fourth-best run defense, allowing just 96.6 yards a game. A big reason why is Franklin and the other linebackers’ ability to fly downhill and make sure tackles. In addition to the run, Franklin has also been solid in the passing game, recording some big pass breakups.
This is a great development for Franklin who was drafted out of Syracuse in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. Franklin has been a team leader for the last couple of years and has led one of the league’s best special teams units. He is now shining defensively and will likely be used much more even once Leonard is finally healthy and back in the field. Between the two of them, Okereke, and Speed, Indy has one of the league’s best linebacker units, if not the best.
Reviewing Indianapolis Colts rookies after the first five games
While the Indianapolis Colts have gotten off to a rough start this season at 2-2-1, that hasn't prevented some rookies from impressing early.