The Indianapolis Colts have to do something. Running it back for 2026 might be great, but only with some added talent at various positions. That is assuming quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce will come back. The defensive front, though, has to get better.
The backend of the Indy defense was solid, even with all its injuries. How good would the group have been at the end of the year had cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner stayed healthy? What would also have made the group even better is if the pass rush had been greatly improved.
Only Laiatu Latu was a steady performer in terms of being a pass rusher. He was slightly inconsistent as well, but still was far more productive than any of the other members of his position group. DeForest Buckner was good again along the defensive line, but then he suffered a neck injury and missed most of the second half of the year.
Indianapolis Colts should target edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones in free agency
Indianapolis isn't going to get be able to take a highly-sought-after edge rusher in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft as general manager Chris Ballard traded that pick away (as well as the 2027 first-round choice, too), so Indy might need to look at drafting or signing in free agency a few potentially impactful edge rushers. A group of talent is better than one high-end one, after all.
One of the players the Colts should target in free agency is Dre'Mont Jones. The former Ohio State Buckeyes product has had a mixed career so far, but appears to be trending in the right direction recently. 2025 was his best season, and no reason exists to assume he will be much worse next season.
Splitting his time between the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, Jones set career-highs in sacks (7) and quarterback hits (24, which was 11 better than in any previous season). He also wasn't credited with a missed tackle, and he has always been great at being able to wrap up ball-carriers.
Jones' sack total would have been the second-most on Indy's team in 2025 (Latu had 8.5 sacks). The number of quarterback hits would have ranked first. His seven tackles for loss would have ranked third.
According to Spotrac, Jones is projected to receive a contract that could pay him as much as a total of $20 million over two seasons. He is 29 years old, and coming off the best year of his career, so paying Jones that amount of money would be worth it.
The Indianapolis Colts have to rebuild their edge rusher group this offseason. Several players are free agents who shouldn't be re-signed. The list includes Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis, and Kwity Paye. Dre'Mont Jones should be part of the group that replaces them, and the team would be much better off for doing so.