Indianapolis Colts fans are sure hoping that the 2025 season is different. The team hasn't been able to crawl into the revelant category in recent years, having missed the playoffs in each of the last four seasons and not winning a playoff game since the 2018 season.
If the Colts want to right the ship, their draft picks have to start showing up and balling out. Last year's first-rounder, Laiatu Latu, is a player that fans are hoping to see a bounce-back year from, as his rookie campaign didn't exactly leave people clamoring for more.
Latu, the first defensive player picked in last year's draft despite going off the board at 15 overall, had only four sacks and 32 total tackles in 17 games. If the Colts want to turn things around and become a better team, Latu needs to be better.
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports predicts that a breakout season for Latu is on the horizon. A big reason why he thinks Latu could be poised for a big sophomore campaign is the addition of Lou Anarumo at defensive coordinator.
"The hire of longtime Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo could also result in Latu being aligned in better spots to make plays, as he just oversaw Trey Hendrickson total 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons."
Colts fans sure hope this Laiatu Latu prediction comes true
Podell also touched on how the Colts have put in the work on the defensive side of the ball, also bringing in Camryn Bynum and Charvarius Ward to help out the secondary. A better secondary obviously gives Latu a chance to thrive because if they can lock down receivers, Latu will have more time to get after the quarterback.
Anarumo's addition to the staff can't be understated though. The long-time Bengals defensive coordinator was at the helm in Cincinnati when Trey Hendrickson put together massive season after massive season so why couldn't his presence help out Latu?
While the Colts' big problem in recent seasons has been at quarterback, the defense performing well would go a long way toward helping this team be more of a threat moving forward. If Latu can play to the level he was expected to as a first-round pick, perhaps the Colts can surprise some people this year.