The Indianapolis Colts set the franchise record for sacks last season with 51. They had zero players who recorded double-digit sacks. But they did have four players record at least eight sacks. The team leader was last season’s free-agent signing Samson Ebukam with nine and a half.
No other player on the roster recorded more than four sacks. The last time a single Colts player recorded double-digit sacks was in 2019 by Justin Houston with 11. Even with last year’s team setting the franchise record, the most double-teamed player along the defensive line was still DeForest Buckner. He is still the most feared player by opponents. The lack of a dominant and consistent threat on the edge has been a problem for years.
The last time the Colts had two players record double-digit sacks in a year was in 2010, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The last time the team had back-to-back seasons with a player with double-digit sacks was 2009 & 2010 by Freeney. GM Chris Ballard has tried to address this weakness via the draft, with second-round selections in 2018 with Tyquan Lewis and in 2021 with Dayo Odeyingbo, and first-round selection in 2021 with Kwity Paye. The results haven’t been there.
So here are five defensive end prospects the Indianapolis Colts should target in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Laiatu Latu – UCLA
- 6-foot-5, 25 9lbs
Laiatu Latu is one of the most exciting edge prospects in this year’s draft. The offensive game plan wrecker from UCLA posted back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks. This helped him earn All-American status and the 2023 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award. During his final collegiate season, he spent the majority of his time rushing the quarterback as an outside linebacker. However, he shows the ability to be able to be just as effective rushing the quarterback with his hand on the ground.
There is a concern about the neck injury Latu sustained while playing at Washington. The Huskies doctors didn’t clear him to play, whereas the Bruins doctors did. So, the Colts will need to review and determine how big of a concern his medicals are. His size, arm length, and boundary pursuit are average. His ability to hold up against the run and maintain his rush leverage needs improvement.
He is drawing comparisons to T.J. Watt, and Latu’s relentlessness in his pursuit of the quarterback shines on tape. He does show some good coverage ability in small areas, as evidenced by his two interceptions. Latu has above-average lateral movement and athleticism while timing up his rush to stack and shed blockers. He utilized his bull rush and speed a lot to get to and bring down the quarterback, so he will need to develop some more moves, but his speed will play instantly in the NFL.
Related: See where the Indianapolis Colts land in Sportsnaut’s NFL defense rankings
Jared Verse – Florida State
- 6-foot-4, 254 lbs
The Colts’ selection of Jared Verse would be the second-highest-profile defensive end prospect to come out of Florida State since Bjorn Werner. Both players’ tapes share some similarities too. Verse’s tape also shares some similarities with a current Colts defensive end, Kwity Paye. To be fair, Verse offers more explosive plays and consistent bursts off the snap but there are times when his drive appears to be lackadaisical and he’s easily blocked.
He’s drawing comparisons to LaMarr Woodley, which isn’t a negative in regards to being a good draft selection and NFL player. It is a negative when you look at Woodley’s sack production. There are other concerns with Verse, such as sometimes his rush to the quarterback creates lanes for the running back or quarterback to run through. There are also times when his tackling isn’t to the level you’d like it to be, considering his strength and athleticism. He put up good tackle-for-loss numbers in college but there is skepticism as to how transferable those stats are to the NFL.
This, of course, leads to the need for refinement in Verse’s pass-rushing. He offers a relentless motor and comes with an explosive first step that pairs well with his bullrush. He does show that he has other moves in his repertoire. They do need some work but NFL coaching will enhance them. His strength should not be forgotten or underappreciated as he’s able to hold his against bigger opposition and dole out powerful punches.
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Mohamed Kamara – Colorado State
- 6-foot-1, 248 lbs
A statement that is made often is that scouts will always find talent. To be fair, Colorado State is not a tiny school as it’s in the Mountain West Conference, but that’s not a Power Five conference either. Regardless, Mohamed Kamara racked up stats while playing for the Rams, with 45.5 TFLs and 30.5 career sacks. And when watching his tape, you can’t help but get Robert Mathis vibes.
Both Mathis and Kamara are similar in stature, which means they are both considered undersized for NFL defensive ends standards. This is one of the biggest knocks on him and why he will be a Day 2 or Day 3 draft selection. At this point, he needs to develop a counter or second move to include in his pass-rushing arsenal as he’s very reliant on his speed and heavy hands. There are times when his rush to the quarterback, and with the help of the tackle, takes him past and his pursuit back is lacking.
A perfect secondary or counter-pass rush move would be the spin move. Kamara is fast off the snap utilizing his power, strength, and aforementioned, heavy hands to get the sack. His nimble feet help him take down running backs or quarterbacks when escorting them to the sideline if he’s not able to get to them in the backfield. There’s no question that Kamara will need some development but his upside is enticing.
Related: See where the Indianapolis Colts land in Sportsnaut’s NFL power rankings
Dallas Turner – Alabama
- 6-foot-3, 247 lbs
Dallas Turner is an intriguing prospect, one that may not be a perfect fit for the Colts’ current defensive scheme. He profiles better for a 3-4 defensive alignment as a rushing outside linebacker. But he does show enough skill, athleticism, and talent to be a good rusher with his hand on the ground. He is a little undersized to play the traditional NFL defensive end.
And Turner’s technique and abilities need more refinement. NFL coaching should be able to fix this weakness, along with the need for Turner to bulk up so he can be better suited to handle a full season and defend against the run. Speaking of his run defense, he currently utilizes his speed to take angles toward the rusher compared to using his strength to overpower in close spaces. While he doesn’t take plays off, he does lack some desire when he’s not engaged directly.
His favorite pass-rushing move is converting his explosive first step and speed into a power rush. Turner did show improvement in his overall abilities every year in college and evenly weekly while in season. Because of his quick first step, he’s able to put the tackle on skates or tackle the running back in the backfield early. He also shows adequate ability to cover in space or the flat but he shouldn’t be confused as someone who can play an outside linebacker.
Cedric Johnson – Mississippi
- 6-foot-3, 260 lbs
Cedric Johnson will be a Day 2 pick at best, and the fans of the team that draft him will need to understand that he is a project. Some scouts already say that he is built like an NFL defensive end and he certainly looks the part. There are some concerns about his collegiate production, 19 career sacks (never exceeded more than six and a half in a year).
Johnson tends to rush the quarterback with just one speed and there isn’t much creativity either. Even though he has good size, too often he allows the tackles to get into his chest. And while he displays violent hands, he is inconsistent in utilizing them. He also wastes time hand-fighting or attacking blockers, rather than making the tackle. This could be explained because of his lack of pass-rushing moves.
Johnson comes with a strong lower half that helps with his pass rush, setting the edge, and driving blockers back. Because of his lower-body strength, he’s able to sink and redirect blockers in his rush. He displays a great bull and wide rush when he’s the first one off the snap. With better NFL coaching, his bull rush will improve. He already has a good spin move that comes with great closing speed on quarterbacks.
Ballard hasn’t been able to successfully hit the defensive end position during his time with the Indianapolis Colts. However, maybe this is the year he finally gets it right. The last two drafts have seen him nail the other two most important positions, quarterback and left tackle.
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