Pair of Second-Year Pass Rushers Star in Colts' Preseason Opener

Adetomiwa Adebawore and Isaiah Land showcased their second-year development in the Indianapolis Colts' loss to the Denver Broncos.

Nov 5, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Adetomiwa Adebawore (95) and linebacker Isaiah Land (55) react to a sack against Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts will live and die by their pass rush this season, and luckily they appear to have all the depth they need in the trenches heading into the season.

The Colts' preseason opener had a little bit of everything on the defensive line, with Tyquan Lewis and Laiatu Latu shining off of the edge early in the outing. After the initial two series, though, the player that truly took over the game was second year defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore.

A former fourth round pick out of Northwestern, Adebawore was the star of the NFL Combine back in 2023. He ran a blazing 4.49 second forty yard dash at 282 pounds, making him one of the more impressive athletes in history at the position. His rookie year was essentially a redshirt season with the team, as he saw just 132 defensive snaps in nine games as an active player (accumulating two sacks and two QB hits in those snaps).

Adebawore came into this offseason with the goal of cracking the pass rush rotation, and so far he has put his best foot forward in camp. He has consistently shined as a pass rusher in Training Camp, and his play carried over to the game on Sunday. He finished the day with two quarterback hits, multiple pressures, and an excellent run stop on a toss play to his side.

The most impressive play of the day for the young player came late in the first quarter. He was lined up against Broncos' starter Quinn Meinerz, a star in his own right that just earned a 76 million dollar contract this offseason. Adebawore showcased his power and his speed on the rep, leaving the star right guard flailing as he racked up a QB hit on the play (first clip shown below).

Adetomiwa Adebawore had himself a game on Sunday. Really like the development we are seeing from him. Insanely strong and athletic player (just needs to be a bit sturdier in run defense) pic.twitter.com/j8jOVoeqfe

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) August 12, 2024

While Adebawore taking a step forward would be a massive boost to the Colts' reserve rush unit, another second year player flying under the radar is Isaiah Land. Land is a former UDFA that the Colts claimed off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys prior to last season. Like Adebawore he also was more of a redshirt player last season, but he flashed in limited playing time.

With the addition of Laiatu Latu this offseason, Land's roster spot appeared to be in jeopardy heading into camp. Luckily for Land, though, the season-ending injury to Samson Ebukam re-opened his chances to make the roster again. Land fully took advantage of his opportunities in limited action this past weekend.

While Land may not have been as dominant as Adebawore in this one, he did flash some pass rush juice off of the edge. He showed the ability to turn the corner well and came away with two pressures late in the game. For a team that is always in need of talented pass rushers in the rotation, a player like Land could be an asset in a long season where injuries are common.

Couple good rushes from Isaiah Land late in this game. Clear that he has been working on that swipe and shoulder dip this offseason pic.twitter.com/yr2TTQt8IV

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) August 12, 2024

The Colts' defense will live and die by their pass rush, and they might have one of the deeper groups in football heading into this season. The bulk of the snaps will go to the top players like DeForest Buckner, Laiatu Latu, Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Tyquan Lewis but if players like Land and Adebawore can stand out in their limited action, the league better be ready for this Colts' defensive line.

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