An unexpected Colts player named as someone that could significantly improve in 2023

The Indianapolis Colts have several young players that could take big steps next season. Recently, one of Indy’s less popular young players joined that list.

With many of the offseason lists looking at young players that are poised for a breakout season in 2023, the Indianapolis Colts are well represented. With guys like Alec Pierce, Bernhard Raimann, Kwity Paye, and Samson Ebukam, as well as several promising rookies, Indy has a ton players that could leap into stardom in 2023.

Recently, another Colts player, that isn’t usually listed, was named to one of these lists. Brad Spielberger of PFF named six young players throughout the league that should significantly improve in 2023. One of those players was Indy’s defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo.

Dayo Odeyingbo expected to improve for Colts in 2023

Spielberger pointed out how Indy drafted Odeyingbo despite the fact that he tore his Achilles in the January before the 2021 Draft. As Spielberger put it, Indianapolis’ “patience started to look smart down the stretch in 2022.” Spielberger used PFF grades to highlight just how promising Odeyingbo was down the stretch of last season.

"Odeyingbo started playing meaningful snaps in Week 10, and from that point on, he recorded multiple quarterback pressures in every game but one. At 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds, Odeyingbo also sets a strong edge, earning a 69.9 run-defense grade over the stretch that ranked 19th among edge defenders."

- Brad Spielberger (PFF)

Odeyingbo will now return for the 2023 season healthy, and he will be a key piece for the Colts defensive line. While he’s not expected to be a starter, he will be a depth piece for edge defenders and interior defensive linemen— a versatility that should really help Indianapolis. The questions for Odeyingbo are how healthy will he be and how big of a leap will he make?

He did play all 17 games in 2022, so health isn’t really expected to be an issue anymore. In those games, Odeyingbo recorded five sacks, 31 tackles, five for a loss, and 13 quarterback hits. Those are already pretty solid numbers for a depth defensive linemen. If he takes his production to the next level, the Colts will likely have a productive defensive line.

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