The Indianapolis Colts don't appear to have a drastically improved edge rush group in 2026. Laiatu Latu is still around, and he is ascending, but the rest of the position, including free agent signee Arden Key, appears to be only slightly better than mediocre at best. That is, unless one unexpected player becomes a star.
Maybe that player is a 2026 sixth-round draft pick and local Indianapolis high school star, Caden Curry. The Center Grove product went to school at Ohio State and didn't fully blossom until last year. He could evolve faster in the NFL, however, and general manager Chris Ballard certainly has high hopes.
Speaking with the media ahead of the start of training camp, Ballard told the media, "I'm excited to watch Curry and (fellow 2026 pick George Gumbs Jr.) get after it in camp with pads on. Curry's a freaking football player, man. When I'm around him, now he's gotta go do it with the pads on, but that guy's a football player. I think he's gonna have a pretty good career."
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has high hopes for rookie Caden Curry
Of course, the GM was the one to choose Curry, so he needs to say positive things like that, but he doesn't necessarily have to single the rookie out. The optimism could be coming from a real and organic sense of what he has seen from Curry in organized team activities and minicamp.
Sometimes, players' brilliance doesn't show up in workouts like the NFL Combine or on Pro Days. Many times, a player simply shines once a practice or game gets going. That is presumably what Ballard meant by calling the rookie a "football player."
Caden Curry might not have 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss for the Indianapolis Colts this season as he did for Ohio State in 2025, but any quality production would augment a group in desperate need of fresh talent.
Even if Curry has four sacks or so, that would be a boon to what Latu is forced to do, assuming his fellow edge rushers don't sharply increase their production from the previous seasons. Arden Key's career-high in sacks is 6.5, for instance. No one expects him to suddenly hit double digits.
Plus, what a story Curry would make if he becomes an integral part of the Colts' defense for many years. He chose to go to OSU because he wanted a challenge playing with high-end teammates. Hopefully, Curry is the player who becomes the challenge for others. He has a built-in fanbase, and he could become one of the faces of the franchise.
He just needs to put the pads on, prove he belongs on the roster, and get valuable reps. The Colts need him to.
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