Normally, when a team takes a player in the first couple of rounds of any given NFL draft, that player plays quickly. Teams would avoid taking a player high if they weren't sure the person could contribute fairly soon. This is why a recent Indianapolis Colts' decision is very confusing.
In the second round of the 2025 draft, Indy chose Ohio State edge rusher JT Tuimoloau. Oddly, the rookie was a healthy scratch in his first game. In Week 2, one might assume that Tuimoloau would have a better chance of playing because starter Laiatu Latu was injured and not playing.
The rookie was active for the game, but he rarely saw the field. He was involved in only five snaps, and he didn't exactly make the Colts want to play him more. He literally did nothing. No tackles and no pressures. He was statistically invisible.
JT Tuimoloau is not doing much for the Indianapolis Colts so far in 2025
He did deal with a nagging knee issue in training camp, so maybe he isn't as far along as the team needs him to be at this point. Perhaps he simply hasn't had enough reps in the scheme to be trusted to know his assignments. The Catch-22 is that Tuimoloau might not be good enough to play yet, but he will only get better if he plays.
Of course, it is far too early to worry about the Colts making a bad decision by choosing Tuimoloau. He didn't get very good until his last season in college, so he might be the kind of player who takes a bit of time to acclimate to his new surroundings and the level of his fellow players.
But NFL players get paid very good money to play a game, and Tuimoloau cannot wait a couple of years before being productive. Indianapolis needs him to become reliable at some point this season. Latu was healthy in 2024, but he has injury concerns in the past, so Tuimoloau needs to be ready to step in should Latu continue to struggle with getting hurt
Plenty of other rookies chosen after JT Tuimoloau have already made a positive impact on their teams. The Indianapolis Colts' linebacker needs to be one of the next. The problem is that it appears that Indy doesn't yet have faith that he can help.
Fans might be looking at the rookie basically having a redshirt season. Let's hope 2026 is better for him.