The Indianapolis Colts aren't hiding that addressing their defensive front seven is critical this offseason.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — If you look at a list of the NFL's Super Bowl champions from each year, you'll notice a trend. Almost every year, the winner controlled the game on the defensive front.
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has stressed the importance of building a roster through the trenches, but the Colts still find themselves lacking on defense.
While the Colts' defensive line hasn't been the main issue keeping them water-treading over the last several years, it hasn't kept them from mediocrity, either. Last year, for example, the Colts' 39 sacks were tied for 15th in the NFL out of 32 teams; right in the middle.
Multiple players have aged out of their primes, and numerous draft picks failed to reach their potential. Now, it's time for a redo in the Colts' front seven.
"I think our defensive front, we've got to add some fuel to the front, and we've got to get younger. We've got to get faster, unequivocally, on defense," Ballard said when the season recently ended. "But just off our initial thinking, our defensive front and we’ve got to get faster, especially on defense."
"We've had some pretty good players here, but speed on defense, we've got to get faster on defense," Ballard reiterated last week at the NFL Scouting Combine. "We've really got to get faster on the front side.
On the defensive line, the Colts have Kwity Paye (27 years old), Samson Ebukam (30), Tyquan Lewis (31), Neville Gallimore (29), Chris Wormley (32), and Eric Johnson (27) set to hit free agency with expiring contracts. It's a very real possibility that none of them return.
The Colts also have some aging returning veterans in DeForest Buckner (31) and Grover Stewart (32).
At linebacker, Germaine Pratt (29), Segun Olubi (26), Buddy Johnson (27), and Jacob Phillips (26) are pending free agents. Zaire Franklin (29) is also a potential salary cap casualty, as the team would create over $5 million in cap space in 2026 by trading/releasing him, and another $9 million in 2027.
The Colts currently have roughly $32 million in cap space. to work with in free agency before diving into any cap-saving measures, but the draft is where the bulk of the makeover is likely to take place.
"The draft, we think it's good on the defensive side of the football, especially in the front seven," Ballard said. "But it's a definite area that we need to address."
The Colts currently have five draft picks entering the 2026 NFL Draft, but are slated to receive two additional compensatory picks. Ballard still wants to add more selections beyond the seven, though.
"We like to acquire picks," Ballard said. "I'm not saying we wouldn't move up in the draft, 'cause that's always a possibility, but there's a good chance that we'll end up moving back, and we're gonna end up getting, I think, two (compensatory) picks, so we're at seven (picks total). I would anticipate having more after it's all said and done."
This year's NFL draft takes place between Thurs., April 23 and Sat., April 25.
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.