Pro Football Focus set out to pick the most underrated player on each NFL team. For the Indianapolis Colts, they chose defensive end Samson Ebukam.
Here is what PFF had to say:
“Ebukam lived up to expectations in his first season with the Colts in 2023. His 84.4 PFF overall grade ranked 14th among edge defenders, and it was also Ebukam’s highest grade in his career. He has mainly excelled as a situational pass rusher up until now, but he could remain in a featured role as first-round rookie Laiatu Latu gets up to speed.”
After spending the previous two years with San Francisco and four years before that with the Los Angeles Rams, the Colts signed Ebukam during free agency last offseason to a three-year deal worth $24 million, and they felt his impact immediately as a pass rusher.
Ebukam’s 48 pressures were the second-most on the team behind only DeForest Buckner. His 9.5 sacks were also the most on the team.
As a defense, the Colts totaled 51 sacks in 2023, which was the fifth-most in the NFL and included fellow defensive ends Kwity Paye totaling 8.5 sacks and Dayo Odeyingbo 8.0 sacks.
However, statistically speaking, if the Colts are going to replicate that level of sack production in 2024, they’ll need to pressure the quarterback more consistently after also ranking 23rd in total pressures and 22nd in pressure rate.
Or, in short, the Colts need to give themselves more opportunities to be able to sack the quarterback.
From a sustainability perspective, Ebukam is positioned well to find similar success this upcoming season, ranking 21st among all edge rushers in pass rush win rate, showcasing an ability to apply consistent pressure.
On the flip side, Paye and Odeyingbo would rank 42nd and 45th, respectively, out of 55 pass rushers in PFF’s pass rush win rate metric.
GM Chris Ballard has built what should be one of the most disruptive defensive fronts in football. Along with Ebukam, Paye, and Odeyingbo, the Colts also have Laiatu Latu, Tyquan Lewis, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, and Raekwon Davis.
In today’s NFL, the name of the game is pressuring the quarterback–when that happens regularly, good things happen and the entire defense benefits.
