Pro Football Focus put together its ranking of each NFL team’s defensive line unit, which includes both the defensive tackle and defensive end positions.
The Indianapolis Colts would crack PFF’s top 10, coming in at No. 7 on the list. The top five included the New York Jets at No. 1, followed by San Francisco, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Cleveland.
Building the defense through the trenches has always been a well-known priority for GM Chris Ballard, and this offseason exemplified that perhaps more than any other.
Over the last few months, we’ve seen Ballard extend DeForest Buckner, re-sign Tyquan Lewis and Grover Stewart, sign Raekwon Davis, draft Laiatu Latu, and pick up Kwity Paye’s 2025 fifth-year option.
According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the Colts will rank sixth in total cash spending along the defensive front. In terms of the salary cap, almost 20 percent of their 2024 cap space will go towards this position group.
This depth that Ballard has accumulated will allow the Colts to have a hockey-like rotation along the defensive front, with eight or nine players they can rely on. This will help keep players fresh and allow defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to really play matchups as he mixes and matches.
“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.”
When the defensive front is disruptive, the entire defense benefits. This keeps the linebackers clean to make plays and means less time in coverage for the secondary.
Slowing the run puts the opposing offense in obvious passing situations, giving the defense the schematic advantage, while pressure disrupts the timing of the play and can lead to turnover opportunities.
It becomes extremely difficult to move the ball consistently on offense when the offensive line is losing the battle at the line of scrimmage.
“I think it’ll just be a big problem for other teams,” said Kwity Paye about the Colts’ defensive front depth. “You know, like you see teams that make it far in the playoffs, the Chiefs, the 49ers, the Eagles, teams like that where they just have a second D-line that could be a first D-line anywhere else.
“So that’s kind of like, I feel like that’s what we’re trying to build here. There’s no dropoff. As soon as the second D-line coming, the O-line doesn’t have rest, like the O-line doesn’t have the chance to regroup for the first team coming in.”
