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Pass Rusher Genard Avery Stacking Days in Training Camp

Originally posted on FanNation All Colts | By Zach Hicks | Last updated 8/2/23

The Indianapolis Colts pass rush is undergoing a minor retooling in 2023. Veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is still the focal point of the group, alongside explosive young edge rushers Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo, but the rest of the group is fairly different from last season.

Replacing starter Yannick Ngakoue is the sturdy and athletic Samson Ebukam, while the team added intriguing depth options in Genard Avery, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Adetomiwa Adebawore, and Titus Leo to compete for rotational snaps. The player that has stood out most among that latter group of players is veteran speed rusher Genard Avery.

Avery, 28, has had a roller coaster of an NFL career thus far. He was a highly touted prospect out of Memphis in the 2018 NFL Draft, but he fell to the fifth round over concerns about his natural position in the league. He put those concerns to rest in his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns though, totaling five sacks and 37 pressures in his debut season.

Rather than ascending from that point, Avery seemed to take a step back following that breakout campaign. His playing time decreased and he was ultimately traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. Avery struggled to find his footing with the Eagles and he was stuck rotating between off ball linebacker and pass rusher for multiple seasons.

He spent a year with the Buccaneers in 2022 as a reserve rusher and signed on with the Colts back on June 1st as added competition off of the edge.

pic.twitter.com/vh2BPZ4yWf
— Not Zach’s Burner (@NotZachsBurner1) August 2, 2023

While Avery hasn't exactly lived up to his rookie year play, there is still a lot to like in the veteran pass rusher. He is an elite athlete that ran a 4.59 forty yard dash, posted a 124 inch broad jump, and ran a phenomenal 6.9 second three cone as a prospect back in 2018. For all of his overall inconsistencies, he has graded out as an average to above average pass rusher in his career and could find more success in an exclusive role centered around that.

Horseshoe Huddle's boots on the ground Jake Arthur discussed Avery's recent play in training camp on the Locked On Colts podcast the other day:

(Genard) Avery is a guy that I thought was a standout. He had one definite would-be sack and I thought he was consistently in the backfield all day. I'm pretty sure he got some run with the ones as well. It was of course Kwity Paye and Dayo (Odeyingbo) with (Samson) Ebukam out, but I'm pretty sure I saw Avery out there with the ones for at least a few snaps.

He's got adequate bend so he's really fun to watch. I thought he looked really good and they could use a guy like him to come out and excel as pass rush depth.

Genard Avery with the backside motor@AveryGenard ️ pic.twitter.com/2tbpMgAooQ
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) December 27, 2021

Genard Avery is long past the days of being an upside player capable of starting, but he could provide some excellent juice off of the bench for the Colts. He is a phenomenal athlete that has had some success in the league as a pass rusher. For a team that wants to have a platoon of pass rushers to rotate in and out, hitting on a rotational player like Avery could be massive for 2023.

Need your fill on daily Colts' content? Head over to the Locked On Colts' YouTube channel where Jake Arthur and myself hit on all the major topics surrounding this team. Hit that subscribe button while you are there!