Feb. 13, 2026, 3:20 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
What is the big question facing the Indianapolis Colts<\/a> and GM Chris Ballard this offseason?<\/p>\n That is the question that each of ESPN’s NFL Nation<\/a> reporters answered for each of the respective teams that they cover.<\/p>\n When it came to the Colts<\/a>, Stephen Holder asked<\/a>, “How much work does the Colts’ defense need?”<\/p>\n “The Colts showed signs of improvement on defense last season, but the consistency wasn’t there. Late in the season, things broke down, and Indianapolis finished 21st in scoring defense (24.2 points per game) and 23rd in yards allowed (349.8 per game),” wrote Holder.<\/p>\n Based on Ballard’s season-ending-press conference, it sounds like a fair amount of resources, whether that be salary cap dollars, draft picks, or both, are going to be used on this side of the ball.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n Ballard mentioned the need for “more fuel” along the defensive front, while later adding that the Colts’ defense needed to get younger and faster this offseason.<\/p>\n Then, when evaluating the current state of the roster,<\/a> defensive end, defensive tackle, linebacker, and safety are all positions that the Colts could justify adding to, whether it be finding a starter, bolstering depth, or all the above.<\/p>\n The Colts are without a first-round pick in this year’s draft, but of note, this year’s draft class looks quite strong along the defensive line.<\/a><\/p>\n