The Indianapolis Colts put together an impressive class in the 2023 NFL Draft, and experts believe that a day-three selection could be one of the more impactful picks.
As the dust settles on the 2023 NFL Draft, experts are looking around and analyzing how these young players fit with their new franchises. Brent Sobleski, in a recent piece for Bleacher Report, looked at the day-three picks that are in the “perfect situations to contribute early.”
Of the eight players that Sobleski highlighted, the first one was Indianapolis Colts fourth-round pick Adetomiwa Adebawore. Indy selected the defensive tackle with the No. 110 pick in the draft. Adebawore created a great buzz for himself by running a 4.49 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, while being a 6-foot-2, 282-pound defensive tackle.
Adetomiwa Adebawore expected to contribute as a rookie for Colts
Sobleski belives that Indianapolis is the perfect place for Adebawore to immediately thrive because Indy lacked depth on the interior defensive line last season. The Colts had tremendous starters in DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, but there weren’t many contributors behind them. Chris Ballard has always talked about the importance of having a deep defensive line, and that’s why he went and got defensive tackles like Taven Bryan and Adebawore this offseason.
Adebawore spent four seasons at Northwestern, playing in 36 games as a defensive linemen for the Wildcats. He finished his career with 97 tackles, 24.5 for a loss, 12.5 sacks, one interception, six pass deflections, and four forced fumbles. The expectation is that Adebawore will be even more productive in the NFL with a defense that knows how to utilize him.
Gus Bradley and the Colts will be the lucky defense that gets to maximize Adebawore’s abilities. He will have the opportunity to learn behind two of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, and immediately contribute to a solid defense.
READ MORE: Early Colts 53-man roster prediction after the NFL Draft