Jan. 18, 2026, 10:13 a.m. ET
At the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season, how did the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive line unit compare to the rest of the league?
Well, not all that favorably. According to Pro Football Focus’ rankings, the Colts‘ defensive front ranked in the bottom third of the NFL at 21st overall.
This unit did hold up well against the run this season — even without DeForest Buckner for much of the second half. In part, that’s a credit to Lou Anarumo and his defensive scheme.
However, where this unit was often lacking in consistency was in getting after the quarterback.
The Colts’ total pressure numbers were solid, but they also ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in pressure rate and were 30th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric.
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The cumulative total is reflective of opportunities, which this defense had a lot of, especially during the first half of the year, with opposing offenses playing catch-up. The latter two figures better illustrate consistency, which was lacking.
GM Chris Ballard has already acknowledged that “more fuel” is needed up front. He also said that getting younger and faster on defense as a whole would be a priority.
At the end of the day, defensive success begins up front with generating steady pressure and stopping the run.
Along with needing additional pass rush juice, Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, Samson Ebukam, and Neville Gallimore are all set to be free agents in 2026.