On July 23rd, 2022 the Indianapolis Colts claimed Defensive tackle Byron Cowart off the waivers from the New England Patriots. Byron Cowart was drafted in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Patriots. He played his college carrier at Auburn and Maryland. He is currently on his final year of his four-year, $2.8 million contract.
A Quick History of Byron Cowart
Byron Cowart was the number one high school recruit when he committed to Auburn in 2015. Coming in with high expectations, Cowart struggled to find a role in his first two seasons there. In 2017 after the first two games of the season Cowart left the program. He attended a local community college before transferring to Maryland in 2018. After his one season there he was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Byron Cowart only played 5 games in his rookie season of 2019. He did not let this discourage him. In 2020, Cowart started 14 games for the Patriots. In these games he recorded 27 tackles, three for loss, and one sack. According to NFL Trade Rumors. Cowart was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on October 12, 2020, and was activated on October 21. COVID hit players hard and most struggled to recover fully. The Colts see promise in this young DT. He brings more competition to a talented room.
Colts Claimed a Defensive Tackle. What Does This Mean?
The Colts added Byron Cowart to help push young players at the same position. Players like Kwity Paye, Curtis Brooks, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Ifeadi Odenigbo will have too push harder to keep their roster spot. These young players need the competition to perform at their highest levels. Cowart could be a diamond in the rough. Or at the lowest he is a practice squad member who has knowledge gained from Bill Belichick’s system.
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