The Indianapolis Colts made a poor choice in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft when they took Ohio State edge rusher JT Tuimoloau. This doesn't mean Tuimoloau will be a bust and never do much. He is only three games into his career.
But Indy selected a player who clearly doesn't fit what defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo currently wants to do. Instead of Tuimoloau, Indy could have taken linebacker Demetrius Knight or cornerback Trey Amos. Both have been immediately productive with their respective teams.
Speaking with the media this week, Anarumo was asked why Tuimoloau has been a healthy scratch in two of Indianapolis' first two games. His answer won't exactly please many Colts fans who think the rookie should get playing time over veteran Samson Ebukam.
Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo talks JT Tuimoloau
The DC said Tuimoloau's "time would come," but that the team was simply needing to field a game-day roster that had more defensive tackles than edge rushers. To be fair, if a team has a rookie that they think is a star, that rookie will play.
Plus, the only real way that JT Tuimoloau will improve is if he gets reps. He has only been involved in five defensive snaps so far, and it isn't like Indy's pass rush has been consistently productive. Why not give Tuimoloau a chance?
While the Colts are 3-0 and in first place in the AFC South, the defense is showing cracks of being ineffective. The pass rush pressure percentage is 20.8, which is 22nd in the NFL. Indy also leads the league in missed tackles (157). Those kinds of deficiencies will cost Indianapolis against teams like their next opponent, the Los Angeles Rams.
The Colts are also 29th in pass-rush win rate at 25 percent and 27th in run-block win rate at 27 percent. While there is no guarantee that Tuimololau will improve those numbers, what is clear is that the players getting reps instead of him are not doing their jobs well.
The statistics back that up, and even Colts fans' opinions do. Lou Anarumo has never shown that he is one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, and he isn't truly making Indy's defense better, either.
The next month is going to be a challenge. The Rams have the coaching and players to humiliate Anarumo. The Las Vegas Raiders follow and they can score points. The Arizona Cardinals follow, and they are struggling offensively, but the Los Angeles Chargers aren't, and the Indianapolis Colts play them in Week 7.