While the Indianapolis Colts have plenty of question marks on offense heading into the 2025 NFL season, their defense might have even more. In 2024, the Colts were ranked No. 29 on the defensive side of the ball. Considering the team had a hapless offense and an incredibly poor defense, it’s kind of remarkable that they finished the season 8-9.
And while the Colts did some things to improve on defense, Bleacher Report thinks that they are going to need someone previously on the roster to step up and be a difference maker.
That player is former first-round pick and edge rusher Laiatu Latu.
“Laiatu Latu wasn’t terrible as a rookie, but wasn’t as impactful as the Colts were probably expecting when they took him with the 15th overall pick,” writes Alex Ballentine. “He ended up playing 54 percent of the defensive snaps with four sacks to show for it.”
It should be noted that Latu was the first defensive player drafted in 2024. That’s right, the first 14 picks of that draft were offensive players. While it was an unusual draft to be sure, that fact that he was the first defender taken illustrates why the Colts have high hopes for the second-year man from UCLA.
“The Colts should be expecting much bigger things from him in Year 2,” Ballentine continues. “They let Dayo Odeyingbo walk in free agency, and they desperately need an edge-rusher who can get double-digit sacks every year.
“Latu has the highest potential to become that player on the roster. He was more of a pass-rush specialist in his first season, but with a year to get stronger and adapt his game to the NFL, he could prove himself as a building block this summer into the season.”
Latu should have help from the 2025 draft
While Latu needs to take that next step, he should get some help from the recent NFL Draft. After spending their first-round pick on tight end Tyler Warren out of Penn State, they immediately sought help on the defensive side of the ball when they took J.T. Tuimoloau, the defensive end from Ohio State.
Can he help right away? ESPN’s Stephen Holder thinks he has a chance to immediately contribute, but it’s more likely that they work him in slowly.
“Tuimoloau is more than likely to be a rotational player in 2025, but he has a chance to get significant playing time right away,” Holder writes. “With the departure of Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency and with Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis entering the final years of their respective contracts, this is a bit of a longer-term pick with a chance to become more than that based on his play.”
The Colts are surely hoping that Latu and Tuimoloau can unite to create a formidable duo for the next 10 years.
Did the Colts get the best defensive player in the 2024 Draft?
The Colts felt fortunate last year that Latu even fell to them at No. 15.
“I thought we got a little lucky on it,” Ballard said after the draft. “We thought there were four or five really elite players, and he was one of them. We felt fortunate to get him.”
“I think he’s gonna produce pretty quickly as a rusher,” Ballard continued. “I think he knows how to rush. Of course there’s going to be an adjustment period, as there is with any rookie rusher. He’s pretty polished. This guy’s a pretty polished product in terms of rushing. Of course you’re going to have to learn, especially against (NFL) tackles that are so good, and the protection schemes are so good. So that’ll be an adjustment for him. But he’s a smart kid. He’ll figure it out.”
Latu was productive last year and showed some promise, but the Colts are really going to need him to take that next step in 2025 if they are going to get their defense turned around.
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