It’s no secret that the Indianapolis Colts need to acquire some pass-rushing talent this offseason. Last year, they finished in the middle of the league in sacks and pressures, but they needed to rely on frequent blitzes to achieve that mediocre number.
Lou Anarumo’s defense was ninth in the league in total blitzes (26.6%) and17th in QB pressures (23.3%). Quick econ lesson – when your blitz percentage exceeds your pressure percentage, you are underwater. That’s not good.
For that reason, many analysts, as well as Colts fans, have been linking GM Chris Ballard to some of the highest-profile edge rushers who may be available within the next month or two.
Under-the-radar edge rushers the Indianapolis Colts should target
Ballard does not have the draft capital to realistically swing a trade for Maxx Crosby, but he does have the cash to get in on the bidding for Trey Hendrickson, often seen as the biggest edge-rushing prize amongst this year’s free agents.
Hendrickson’s ties to Lou Anarumo – who coached him in Cincinnati – are also seen as an indication that the four-time Pro Bowler could be suiting up for the Colts next year. It’s certainly possible, but it would be a major mistake for Ballard – and Colts fans, for that matter – to adopt an “Hendrickson or bust” mindset. Other, less-discussed edge rushers could help out the Colts' defense quite a bit.
In case you need convincing, let me take you back two years. The Philadelphia Eagles signed four free agent linebackers in the 2024 offseason. Some were edges, others more interior players, but for league purposes – and for ours – we’ll just call them linebackers.
The most high-profile was Bryce Huff, who got the highest total contract paid to a linebacker that season. Howie Roseman also signed Devin White and Oren Burks to smaller, one-year deals.
White was gone by mid-season. Burks provided some decent rotational play and moved on to the Bengals at the end of the season. For the three-year-51 million dollar deal Philly gave to Huff, they got 2.5 sacks. Huff was traded to San Francisco last summer.
The fourth linebacker Roseman signed was Zack Baun. Roseman got him on a one-year deal worth 1.6 million. 34 other linebackers inked bigger total deals than Zack Baun in the spring of 2024. For that money, the Eagles got a first-team All-Pro linebacker who finished fifth in the DPOY voting. Oh, and they won the Super Bowl.
The point is, there may be gems hiding further down the edge rusher rankings this offseason. Maybe not a Zack Baun – that was a once-in-a-decade kind of discovery. But players who could significantly upgrade the Colts' pass rush without breaking the budget.
There is a consensus developing about the top five edge rushers scheduled for free agency this year. After Hendrickson, young players like Odafe Oweh, Boye Mafe, and Jaelan Phillips should attract a lot of attention. Veteran Joey Bosa figures to get a nice one-year deal to come to a team that thinks he could put them over the top.
But there are a lot of other possibilities for Ballard to consider.
K’Lavon Chaisson, New England Patriots
Chaisson is a fascinating evaluation. The 6’3”, 255-pound edge out of LSU was a first-round draft pick by Jacksonville back in 2020. He spent four disappointing seasons in Florida before moving on to Las Vegas in 2024.
When he signed with New England, it did not create many headlines, but he gradually worked himself into a key role with an improving defense. As the Pats got better throughout the season, Chaisson did as well. In the second half, he was good for a couple of QB hits or hurries in every game. He continued that with three sacks and ten more hurries in the playoffs.
Chaisson will never be the first-round speed-rushing demon he was projected to be. But at 26 years old, he is just entering his prime and seems to have figured out how to be a productive NFL edge. Of all the players on this list, he is the one who a GM like Ballard might risk offering a multi-year deal.
Jadeveon Clowney, Dallas Cowboys
Clowney is the opposite end of the spectrum from Chaisson. By NFL standards, he is a greybeard, having just turned 33. And a journeyman. Assuming he moves to a new team in 2026, it will be his eighth stop since being the first overall pick of the 2014 draft.
Clowney made the Pro Bowl three straight seasons between 2016 and 2018, but his career has been a disappointment. If you can forget what he was supposed to be a decade ago and look at what he is today, you see a mercenary pass rusher. Last season, he gave the Cowboys 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles-for-loss in just 373 snaps. That’s insane production.
Clowney is still young enough to be a two-way performer, albeit as part of a rotation. He may not log major snaps, but he can play both the run and the pass, and on third downs, he would be a very potent complement to Laiatu Latu on the opposite side.
Arden Key, Tennessee Titans
Key has clearly worn out his welcome with the Titans. The question for Ballard is whether, at 29, his productive pass-rushing days are completely a thing of the past. There was a time when the long, lanky LSU product was a dangerous presence on the edge.
Key’s 56.7 Pro Football Focus (subscription required) pass rush grade last year was his lowest since 2018, his rookie season. He appeared to be developing into a quality pass rusher during his one-year stints in San Francisco and Jacksonville when Tennessee inked him to a three-year deal. That first year with the Titans repeated the success.
Then a regime change – new coach, defensive coordinator, new position coach – seemed to end it all. Key has regressed in the past two years and clearly had some conflicts with his coaches late in the 2025 season. But if Chris Ballard and Lou Anarumo think they can get him back to where he was a few years ago, he could be a genuine bargain.
Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas Raiders and Charles Omenihu, Kansas City Chiefs
Koonce and Omenihu are not the least bit alike physically. Koonce is undersized for an edge but relies on quickness and effort to make disruptive plays. Omenihu looks the part much more with plenty of length and power, though he does not boast the superior speed and athleticism to be a star.
I am putting them together here because each poses the same question to GMs considering making an offer. Both players were very good in 2023. Koonce put up eight sacks, 34 hurries, and forced three fumbles. As a rotational player in Kansas City, Omenihu recorded seven sacks and 17 hurries in just 251 pass rush snaps.
Then both got hurt. Omenihu tore his ACL in the 2023 AFC championship game. Koonce suffered the same injury just before the 2024 season. Both returned but looked limited. They dealt with other injuries, which slowed their progress.
So the question is whether two years removed from those injuries, will they return to what they had been in 2023, or are they too far gone? Omenihu is 28, Koonce is 27. There is a very good chance one of them will be a low-budget steal for someone in 2026.
None of these players is going to be an elite performer. None will provide what Trey Hendrickson can provide. None will metamorphize like Zack Baun did in 2024. But one or two will provide some very solid pass-rushing edge play to an NFL team in 2026, and will do it at a budget price. Chris Ballard’s job, like that of all GMs, is to figure out which of them will be that player.