The Indianapolis Colts had a number of problems by the end of the 2025 season. Who was going to play quarterback, for instance? That was a week-by-week question. Philip Rivers was meh, and would Riley Leonard have been better? The team's decisions will always have us guessing.
But even when Indy was doing well, the pass rush was an inconsistent mess. Forget the raw statistics. Fans could see in high-stress games how much the Colts could get home and stress opposing quarterbacks. Arguably, only second-year pro Laiatu Latu could do that.
Heading into the 2026 offseason, one of the biggest concerns for general manager Chris Ballard is how to address the grave need in his edge rusher group. Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis were ineffective; both are 30 years old, and both are free agents. Neither should be re-signed. Neither should Kwity Paye.
Indianapolis Colts might find the answer to their edge rush questions in R Mason Thomas
The answer could come in the NFL draft, and The Athletic's (subscription required) Dane Brugler might have the answer. In the second round of the draft (Indy doesn't have a first-round selection, but more on that in a bit), the Colts would take Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas.
Indy is left, of course, with no first-round pick after Ballard gave away the team's next two first-rounders to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner. The move hasn't worked out yet.
Thomas isn't huge, as he is just 6'2" and 250 pounds (heavy enough but shorter than NFL teams normally like), but he is quick and explosive. He is also productive.
In 23 games in the last two seasons combined, Thomas has 15.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. That is nearly one a game, and that is extremely efficient. Those numbers also indicate one of the Oklahoma product's best facets: He has an extremely high motor and is motivated every play to embarrass his opponent.
One area that might have gone a bit under the radar for the Indianapolis Colts in recent seasons is that, besides Zaire Franklin and DeForest Buckner, most players do not seem emotionally involved in the game. That doesn't mean they didn't care if they did poorly because they did, but reaching for an elite status takes talent and willpower.
To succeed in the NFL at an extremely high level, players need both of those. Buckner knows that well. He is one of the best defensive linemen in the league, but he wants to be, while having the raw skills to do so.
While he hurt his neck in 2025, he plans on returning. 2026 could be his final season (he will be 33 years old before the 2027 season and is a free agent after next year), and what better way to help him go out than to choose someone like R Mason Thomas? The two together would help elevate the Indianapolis Colts to the level that the team finally gets to the playoffs again.