Field Yates of ESPN put together his list of non-Day 1 NFL draft prospects who can make a quick and noticeable impact on their respective teams. On this list was Indianapolis Colts’ second-round pick, defensive end JT Tuimoloau.
Yates would rank his top-10 players on both offense and defense in Rounds 2-7 who he expects to make the greatest immediate impact. A part of Yates’ consideration as he put this list together was a player’s potential role, upside, and talent.
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Tuimoloau would appear at No. 6 on Yates’ rankings as he went through the defensive side of the ball.
“Regardless of where Tuimoloau ended up, I was always going to feel really good about his prospects of playing early,” Yates wrote. “JTT was a three-year starter and four-year contributor at Ohio State, and he displays terrific instincts, power, hand usage and explosion off the edge. In Indy, I think he can make a real impact as a pass rusher and run defender. Tuimoloau had 12.5 sacks in 2024, often looking his best during the biggest moments.”
Tuimoloau joins the Colts after being an impactful three-down presence at Ohio State. Whether against the run or the pass, Tuimoloau ranked among the best at his position group in 2024, totaling the 14th most pressures and the sixth-best run defense grade from PFF.
That ability to make an impact on any down will give him a prime opportunity to make a quick impact, like Yates believes he will. Tuimoloau also offers some flexibility to move inside as well during passing downs.
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ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler recently compared Tuimoloau to former Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive end Sam Hubbard, who flourished under now Colts’ defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. The overlap in the two players’ games should help Anarumo maximize Tuimoloau’s abilities and impact.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: ESPN picks Colts’ JT Tuimoloau to make big impact