The Indianapolis Colts have an underrated roster, based on what many websites are forecasting as the best of those in the NFL heading into the 2026 season. Indy has star power with Jonathan Taylor and Sauce Gardner, among others. What the team needs more production from, though, is something the Houston Texans have in spades.
That is high-end quality at edge rusher. Indianapolis has Laiatu Latu, and he was far better in his second season than he was as a rookie in 2024. He could be even better in Year 3, but he needs help, and there is no one else on the Colts' current roster who seems set for extreme production.
Meanwhile, the Texans have an elite defense, partly because they have two of the best edge rushers in the league: Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. No matter which metric one reviews (efficiency at stopping the run, speed of chasing down opposing quarterbacks, or any other statistic), Hunter and Anderson are among the best at what they do.
Indianapolis Colts need their edge rushers to be a lot more like the ones who play for the Houston Texans
This, of course, means that when the Colts play the Texans, the key is to protect quarterback Daniel Jones to help the offense play effectively. A quarterback has to be mobile, sure, but also accurate. Riley Leonard was able to do this in Week 18 last season in the first half when he was playing against Houston's starters.
Indy must find a way to instill the same kind of fear in the teams they play, and Latu's success alone won't do that. The team has to hope that second-year pro Jaylahn Tuimoloau is a lot better than he was in his first season, when he did next to nothing.
General manager Chris Ballard let Kwity Paye walk in free agency, and to replace him, Ballard signed veteran Arden Key. The issue is that Key would appear to be, at best, an even trade for Paye. He hasn't produced as much quarterback pressure as Paye, but Key might be a bit better against the run.
Neither Key nor Paye is anywhere near the quality of Hunter or Anderson, however. To help Latu and the rest of the defense, Key will need to play with his best approximation of the two Texans' stars. Tuimoloau needs to step up too because the depth behind them for the Indianapolis Colts is unproven or not well respected.
Indy drafted two edge rushers in 2026, Caden Curry and George Gumbs Jr., but both were late-round selections and not expected to produce immediately. If either does, that would simply be a nice surprise.
Ballard also signed Micheal Clemons in free agency, but he has not been impressive in his four seasons. In the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Clemons hasn't graded higher than 83rd among edge rushers. He can be solid against the run, but he's terrible in pass rush.
One key reason that the Houston Texans are perennial contenders for the AFC South crown and a playoff team is that they have understood how important the edge rush position is. The Colts haven't succeeded at that spot recently, but maybe 2026 will be the year they do.
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