Pro Football Focus Says Colts Missed the Target on This Position

The Indianapolis Colts are missing consistent support behind some of their best defenders.

Oct 6, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (98) looks on after a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts are recovering from a big-time defeat at the hands of the Detroit Lions, 24-6. Indy didn't seem to gather any momentum offensively, as Anthony Richardson's supporting cast lacked consistency around him, especially from the offensive line. This resulted in a gassed defense in the latter portion of the game, allowing chunk plays from Detroit to finish the contest. In a recent article from Bradley Locker at Pro Football Focus, he dives into a move every AFC team wishes they had made before the start of the 2024 campaign. For Indy, it's all about defensive interior depth.

Laiatu Latu has been solid in his first year, posting a 74.2 PFF pass-rushing grade. But the Colts may have wanted to add more depth along their interior, given that Taven Bryan and Raekwon Davis have been ineffective. Selecting a player like T’Vondre Sweat (72.2 PFF overall grade) or adding Leonard Taylor III (75.5 PFF pass-rushing grade) may have been worthwhile.

- Bradley Locker | Pro Football Focus

While Indy needed a pass-catcher after drafting Laiatu Latu (AD Mitchell - 52nd overall), the Colts hoped that bringing back Taven Bryan and signing free agent Raekwon Davis was a solution to depth. However, Bryan has been sub-par against the run, posting a PFF grade of 54.6 on 149 running snaps. While Bryan is better as a pass-rusher (66.7), he isn't much of a threat even as a depth player. The Colts knew what they were getting with Bryan, but Davis was supposed to be a breath of fresh air behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Sadly, it's been the opposite.

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Davis has played 280 total snaps and possesses awful metrics per PFF, with 41.0 against the run and 38.4 overall defensively. Davis is on a two-year, $14 million contract with the Colts (Over the Cap), so we'll see if the former Miami Dolphins defender can finish stronger than he's started. Indianapolis must get better production from Davis. While Bryan isn't much better, he's a step up from Davis at this juncture in the season.

The Colts are past the difficult stretch of their 2024 campaign, with the struggling New England Patriots (3-9) up next at Foxborough. While Sunday's loss to Detroit was more of the offense falling apart around Richardson, the defensive tackle depth isn't helping stalwarts Buckner and Stewart. With every game ahead being a 'must-win' for the Colts, the defensive trenches have to support the stars better than we've seen in the first 12 games of the year.

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