It’s now official with the Indianapolis Colts hiring their next head coach in Shane Steichen. With this decision now made, more of the organization’s offseason focus can be on the upcoming free agency and draft.
The Colts will have just under $12 million in available cap space. It’s possible this number could grow depending on who the team decides to cut or restructure. Regardless, one of the core principles of GM Chris Ballard is building through the draft.
Fans have repeatedly seen this put into action. The team has not once ever traded up in the first round of the draft, but they have traded up in Round 2. This year’s draft class has some very interesting and highly touted pass-rushing prospects. However, some of these guys don’t fit the Gus Bradley style of defense.
Here are five potential defensive end options for the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 draft.
Myles Murphy, defensive end, Clemson
Myles Murphy is one of the top defensive end prospects in this class. Coming in at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds he has a comparable size to defensive end Myles Garrett. But not the same level of college production. Murphy’s also projected to run the forty-yard dash in the 4.5 seconds range.
He is drawing comparisons to last year’s number-one overall pick Travon Walker. Murphy is also a versatile player that could possibly be developed into playing multiple positions along the defensive line. According to scouts he already comes equipped with an NFL-level spin move. He has long arms and his hand use is raved about. He’s able to swat away blockers and utilize his good motor and upper-body strength to be disruptive.
However, in watching his tape he routinely gets upright right off the snap. Therefore, he needs to better utilize his bend and leverage. As previously mentioned, he’s able to use his upper body strength to win at the college level but won’t be able to in the NFL. Also, he does struggle to shed blocks at times. This is stuff coaching can correct for him to maximize his potential.
Zach Harrison, defensive end, Ohio State
Zach Harrison is another defensive end prospect who looks the part and could play both on the edge or on the inside with some development. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 272 pounds. As previously mentioned with Myles Murphy, Harrison has some similarities. They both use their upper body strength to win at the college level and both routinely get upright right off the snap.
Harrison is projected to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.5 seconds range. He has long arms and has great timing of the snap count to pair with his initial burst. He does play with good leverage at the point of attack. Some scouts are saying that it’s possible Harrison could be on the same level as the Bosa brothers and Chase Young. Or possibly the next Vernon Gholston.
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Like every prospect, there are things that he needs to get better at. Despite having a good burst off the snap, he’s not consistently the first one off the ball. And while he is expected to have great straight-line speed, he’s not overly fluid and is stiff in his change of direction. He is also a solid run defender, the run but some of his pursuits have him taking unnecessary wide angles.
BJ Ojulari, defensive end, LSU
As of right now, Harrison and Murphy project as first-round picks. However, BJ Ojulari is a potential Day 2 target with the possibility to push into Round. 1. Ojulari is listed as 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, so he is a little bit on the small side.
Ojulari comes equipped with an outstanding closing burst and a wide array of pass-rushing moves. Some scouts think he’s already NFL-ready. As previously mentioned, he could stand to add some more weight and strength. A concern is that he may lose some speed and athleticism. And losing some of that speed and athleticism could negatively impact some of what he’s able to do. He’s shown the ability to play well when dropping into coverage and is able to bend around tackles.
Unfortunately, he allows tackles to get into his chest and his lack of size severely impacts his ability to get after the quarterback. He moves well laterally but despite that, he doesn’t always finish in his pursuit. And again, he’ll need to add some muscle and size to better handle NFL tackles. But this could cost him some with his speed and any loss in speed could negate his production.
Lukas Van Ness, defensive line, Iowa
Lukas Van Ness absolutely looks the part of an NFL defensive player. Coming in at 6-foot-5 and 269 pounds he already has the physique and a high motor. When watching his tape you consistently see his strength and power. It will be interesting to see how an NFL team best utilizes his abilities.
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When watching his tape you see the strength and power, along with his ability to play with good leverage at the point of attack. He can play inside, and when he does he keeps his eyes in the backfield. His violent hands are devastating and he knows how to best use them.
However, he plays tall and is stiff. His ability to change direction remains mechanical. Again, he shows very well in moving in straight lines and adding some bend to his rush. But running backs very easily used cut blocks against him and Van Ness doesn’t do a good job of breaking down when trying to tackle more elusive running backs. This could lead to him being better utilized as an inside rusher on known passing downs.
Will McDonald IV, defensive end, Iowa State
Will McDonald IV is a player who showed in college that he got better each year. He’s a fifth-year senior and that could be a detriment. His 2021 season saw him record a career-high 13 sacks. Whereas his final year in college saw him record only six sacks. The other thing about him being a fifth-year senior is that he’s older than some of the other players coming out. Therefore, it’s possible he may already be closer to his ceiling than some of the others.
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Now, a positive is that while his ceiling may not be as high as others you have a better idea of what you’re going to be getting. One of the best things about McDonald is his spin move. There are not many out there whose spin moves can elicit memories of Dwight Freeney. McDonald has very good and violent hands that he uses to fend off blockers with his long arms. He shows tremendous speed and burst to get to the quarterback. With his strong core and excellent balance, he rarely ends up on the ground.
For as great as he is as a pass rusher, his ability to defend against the run is lacking. McDonald is very aggressive about getting after the quarterback but he doesn’t do a good job of also defending against the run. Like Ojulari, McDonald is also 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds. So, he’ll need to add some strength and muscle to better handle NFL tackles.
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