1. Pass rushing is a weakness for the Colts
Chris Ballard has been pretty open about the fact that he desperately wants an elite pass rush. From trading for veterans to drafting a defensive linemen or two every draft, he has been trying to build an elite edge rushing group. Unfortunately, it hasn’t really happened yet for the Colts.
Last season, Indianapolis had one of its most productive pass rushing seasons, but they still weren’t a top unit. The Colts had 44 sacks, which was tied for 10th in the NFL. The pass rush was mostly powered by Yannick Ngakoue, who led the team with 9.5 sacks. However, Indianapolis decided not to re-sign him.
The Colts instead signed Samson Ebukam, putting him on the end of the line opposite of Kwity Paye. While Paye and Ebukam are promising, the only person on Indy’s defensive line that has ever had double-digit sacks is DeForest Buckner. Everyone else is mostly unproven as consistent pass rushers.
Pass rushing is one of the keys to closing out games and winning late in the season, so someone will have to step up for Indianapolis. Indy will either have a breakout season from one of these edge rushers, or Ballard will be right back to the drawing board in the offseason, looking for someone to consistently get after the passer.