The addition of defensive tackle Raekwon Davis will provide a needed boost to the Indianapolis Colts’ run-defense depth, but in Gus Bradley’s system, there’s the potential for Davis to unlock a new level of production.
Overall, the Colts defense ranked 10th in yards per rush allowed last season at 4.1 yards per carry. However, their level of success was very much dependent upon whether or not Grover Stewart was on the field.
With Stewart for the first six games of the season, the Colts allowed only 3.7 yards per rush and 2.24 yards after contact, according to ESPN. However, without Stewart over the next six games, the Colts allowed 4.9 yards per rush and 3.14 yards after contact.
Although PFF’s grades are not the be-all-end-all, Taven Bryan would rank 116th out of 146 eligible defensive tackles in run defense grade, while Eric Johnson finished 146th.
Davis, who was a key member of the Miami Dolphins defensive front, playing 500-plus snaps each of the last two seasons, will immediately be the third member of the Colts’ defensive tackle rotation behind Stewart and DeForest Buckner and will be tasked with providing stability to the run defense unit when Stewart isn’t on the field.
“Playing with Buckner and Grove, I feel like it’s a great fit for me,” Davis said via the Indy Star.
However, it’s also not as if Davis was solely brought in to only be a run-stuffer for the Colts. In Bradley’s attacking front, the opportunity for more pass rush production will be there as well.
Davis is coming from a Dolphins’ defense where he was responsible for two-gaps and asked to take on double-teams to help free up others to make plays. This two-gap system often comes with a read-and-react approach, where the defender has to identify which of the two gaps they are responsible for is the most vulnerable.
According to PFF, Davis never finished with more than one sack in a season and had a career-high 24 pressures last season.
But under Bradley, the job of the defensive front is to get off the ball as quickly as possible and into the backfield to disrupt the play.
“I’m just trying to experience new things,” Davis said. “Since coming out of ‘Bama, I’ve been playing the same technique, two-gapping, and to experience a different technique, being with those two guys, is going to be great.”
GM Chris Ballard believes that building a strong defense begins in the trenches, and signing Davis to a two-year, $14 million contract this offseason was just one of a few examples of that.
The Colts would also re-sign Grover Stewart and Tyquan Lewis, extend DeForest Buckner, draft Laiatu Latu in the first round, and pick up Kwity Paye’s fifth-year option for the 2025 season.
With the help of Davis, as both a run defender and pass rusher, adding to the Colts’ hockey-like rotation in the trenches, this should certainly be one of the more disruptive fronts in football. On PFF’s offseason rankings, the Colts’ defensive front came in at No. 7 on their list.
“We’re a D line that rotates,” said Dayo Odeyingbo via ESPN. “You look around the league and you look at the good D lines, they pretty much all rotate a lot. They have a lot of depth. So, that’s something that helps you be fresh and be ready to play a full 17-game season.
“As far as the sharing goes, I feel like we’re kind of used to it and it’s not really about counting reps. It’s more about making the reps count.”
