The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2026 season with a lot of questions on defense. Long-time stalwarts like Zaire Franklin and Kwity Paye are gone. The secondary lost Kenny Moore and Nick Cross. Germaine Pratt, Samson Ekuban, Tyquan Lewis, Neville Gallimore. The turnover is astonishing.
There are still quality veterans on hand, and they will try to coalesce with a host of rookies and free agents. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is tasked with making it all fit together.
How will it work out? Let’s try to make some guesses as to which parts of the defense will carry the team and which parts will struggle. As with the roster as a whole, a lot of the success or failure will depend on how well the Colts’ backups perform, and right now, many of those depth pieces are virtual unknowns.
The Indianapolis Colts 2026 defense graded by position groups
DEFENSIVE LINE
DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Colby Wooden, Adetowima Adebawore, Jerry Tillery, Derick Nnadi
No position group on the defense has a higher ceiling and a lower floor than the interior defensive line. If DeForest Buckner is at full strength after missing the end of last season, and if Grover Stewart had a decent bounce-back from a somewhat down 2025, the starters are sound. If a couple of the veteran backups can provide 400 quality snaps, everyone should stay fresh.
But that’s an awful lot to ask of a group of players, all right around 30 or older. Ideally, the two youngsters – Wooden and Adebawore – will step into more prominent roles. That too is an unknown. I have already mentioned that one of the edges – Michael Clemons – might help out as an interior pass rush specialist, and if he can do that, one of the above-listed backups might lose out.
There is come talent here, but far too many questions to be confident.
GRADE: C+
EDGE RUSHER
Laiatu Latu, Arden Key, Jaylahn Tuimoloau, Micheal Clemons, Caden Curry
I think George Gumbs may make the roster at the expense of one of the interior linemen, but it won’t change things very much. Similar to the interior line, this amounts to Latu and a lot of unknowns.
Fortunately, Latu is already very good and getting better. Key is a serviceable vet. Behind them, the younger players have to emerge for the defense to make some noise. I think Curry may overperform and Tuimoloau will improve, but I fear neither will come along enough to make the pass rush a real weapon.
GRADE: C+
LINEBACKER
CJ Allen, Akeem Gaither-Davis, Bryce Boettcher, Austin Ajiake
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The linebacking unit has far more questions than answers at this point. CJ Allen has been slowed by injury in training camp, and that has really hurt. So much is expected of him this season. Every day away from camp makes it that much harder for him to perform up to expectations.
In his absence, I think Davis-Gaither and Boettcher have done well. But this group needs Allen playing at a very high level to do anything, and so far, that simply hasn’t happened.
GRADE: C
CORNERBACK
Sauce Garner, Charvarius Ward, Justin Walley, Cam Taylor-Britt, Jaylon Jones, Mekhi Blackmon
Finally, a spot where the Colts have solid talent. Amongst the starters at least. Gardner, Ward, and Walley should be one of the better trios in the league, provided Ward avoids a concussion and Walley returns to form after missing his rookie season. Taylor-Britt should be a good depth piece.
After that, who knows? Blackmon and Johnathan Edwards did not look good in the first preseason game, and Jones simply hasn’t played much football in well over a year. I do not like the depth, but the starters, if healthy, should be the core of the defense.
GRADE: B+
SAFETY
Cam Bynum, Hunter Wohler, AJ Haulcy, Jonathan Owens
Bynum is rock solid. Whoever emerges between Wohler and Haulcy should also be very good. The other will play a lot in a range of packages. Owens is primarily a special teamer. If he has to play a lot of defensive snaps, that will be a sign that something has gone wrong.
But the top three are reliable. Not flashy, but they will make plays. Given the relative weakness on the line and at linebacker, a player like Hunter Wohler could end up with 150 tackles.
GRADE: B
SPECIALISTS
Blake Grupe (K), Rigoberto Sanches (P), Luke Rhodes (LS), Anthony Gould (KR/PR)
Grupe and Sanchez are middle-of-the-pack performers. That’s fine. Gould has yet to show himself as a dangerous kick returner, and that is not fine. Coleman Owen could steal the job, though he does not figure to be a big improvement.
GRADE: C+
No way around it. These aren’t good grades. The Colts have a lot of new, untested pieces this season. I hope they all prove me wrong and have much better seasons than I am suggesting; I will be happy to write a retraction should that happen.
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