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Indianapolis Colts’ Defensive Line Loaded with Talent After Draft

By Kyle Nishida

Nov 2, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Billy Winn (99) recovers a fumble and celebrates with defensive end Kendall Langford (90) in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Billy Winn (99) recovers a fumble and celebrates with defensive end Kendall Langford (90) in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The addition of Hassan Ridgeway should have the Indianapolis Colts even more excited about their defensive line.

In the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway. The Colts already had a deep defensive line unit, but Ridgeway’s addition makes the defensive line even more promising.

According to Pro Football Focus, Ridgeway had the fifth best pass rush productivity amongst all draftable defensive tackles. His pass rushing skills will be a welcome addition to the Colts; a team that only accumulated 35 sacks as a team (tied for 10th worst in the NFL) in 2015.

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Last season, the defensive line was arguably the team’s best unit. There was a good mixture of veteran leadership and young talent. As a result, the unit flourished a lot in 2015.

Defensive tackle Kendall Langford stepped up in a huge way in his first season with the Indianapolis Colts. While only amassing a total of 38 combined tackles, he did earn seven sacks which was tied for the team lead in 2015.

Meanwhile, Colts’ rookies Henry Anderson and David Parry shined in their first seasons as NFL pros. Both guys opened the season as starters along the defensive line, and the team heavily relied on them.

Parry was a sturdy nose tackle in all 16 games last season while Anderson helped the Colts’ lackluster defense with his solid run stopping and pass rushing skills. Even though Anderson is still recovering from an ACL tear, both are expected to be key contributors once again in 2016.

The Colts also got nice contributions from Zach Kerr, Josh McNary and Earl Okine. As one could see this defensive line was solid last season, and veteran Arthur Jones missed all it. Jones was a starter for the Colts in 2014. With all this talent, why did the Colts take Ridgeway?

General manager Ryan Grigson said he was interested in taking the best available player with each draft pick. He certainly did that by drafting Ridgeway in the fourth. Also, Ridgeway is insurance for the Colts. If Jones and Anderson suffer any injury setbacks, the Colts do not have to worry too much because they have Ridgeway.

Also, their coaching staff developed Anderson and Parry, two rookies, into starters last season. There is a strong possibility they could duplicate this success story with Ridgeway this year.

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Overall, Ridgeway was a very solid pickup for the Indianapolis Colts in the 2016 NFL Draft. Though his primary spot is nose tackle, it would not be surprising to see the Colts move him around on defense a lot. Their defensive line is stacked with talent heading into training camp.

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