Last year, the Indianapolis Colts rarely blitzed. Their 17.5 blitz rate was the third-lowest in the league. And their pressure rate was somewhat higher. Given those two figures, one might think that the Colts were very efficient at pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
But a good ratio of blitz-to-pressure doesn’t really pay dividends if you still struggle to actually hit the QB. And in 2024, the Colts just weren’t very good – blitz or no blitz – at pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
Lou Anarumo doesn’t figure to radically alter the philosophy as the new defensive coordinator in 2025. His defenses in Cincinnati usually blitzed slightly more than 20 percent of the time, which is only a little higher than the rate under Gus Bradley last year. That being the case, it puts added pressure on the edge rushers to win their matchups in order for the defense to be effective.
One veteran free agent could provide a big upgrade to the Indianapolis Colts' pass rush
Za’Darius Smith is waiting for a call. The veteran turns 33 this week, and after ten years, he is toward the end of his run. Still, despite playing for two different teams in 2024, he managed nine sacks and 17 quarterback pressures.
There were some observers who thought his success over the last two seasons was attributable to playing alongside Myles Garrett in Cleveland. But when he was dealt to Detroit in the second half of 2024 to help fill in for the injured Aidan Hutchinson, he maintained the same pace.
To be sure, Smith is not Hutchinson. He is not the player he was in 2022, when he last made the Pro Bowl. But those nine sacks he had last year were more than any Colt defender recorded. His sack rate and QB hit rate were higher than those of Kwity Paye. Playing the exact same number of total snaps as Laiatu Latu in 2024, Smith registered five more sacks and five more quarterback hits.
At 6’4”, 270, Smith still has a pretty good spin move coming off the edge. He still has the speed to threaten around the corner. What’s more, he is an ideal quick tackle for NASCAR packages. He has always had excellent hands, which helps if he lines up inside on obvious passing downs.
He even still sets a pretty good edge against the run, which means he is not automatically a one-dimensional passing down presence.
Indy is hoping Latu continues to improve and that rookie JT Tuimoloau develops into a force on the line. In a perfect world, Samson Ekubam returns from his torn Achilles and picks up right where he left off in 2023.
That season, the former Ram and 49er was the Colts' best pass rusher. Indeed, it was something of a revelatory season from Ekubam, who recorded career highs across the board in tackles, sacks, and tackles-for-loss, among others.
But Ekubam is 30 and there is no guarantee that he will be able to reach the same level he was showing prior to his injury. Players rarely get stronger on the far side of 30 in the NFL.
At the end of the day, even if Ekubam comes back strong, Paye and Latu play well, and Tiumoloau is the real deal, Indy could still use a veteran like Smith. You can never have enough pass rushers in the NFL. The Colts got a painful reminder of that last year when Ebukam was lost.
Call him a depth piece or call him insurance, the Colts' pass rush is better with Za’ Darius Smith on the roster. And that, in turn, is good for the entire squad.