With the No. 21 overall pick, the Colts have selected Michigan pass-rusher Kwity Paye. Paye, widely regarded as the best edge rusher on the board, ultimately found himself being selected after Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins, Miami defensive lineman Jaelan Phillips, and Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis.
Paye ranked as Scouts Inc.’s top pass-rushing prospect in this year’s draft, and for good reason. This was thanks in part to a 2019 campaign where the Michigan product finished with 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. That performance earned him second-team All-Big Ten honors and put him on the NFL radar.
The 6-foot-4, 272-pound defensive linemen managed to repeat that production in 2020 (two sacks, four tackles for loss in four games), and he earned a second-team All-Big Ten nod at the end of the season. Paye had emerged as a favorite among teams seeking pass-rush help, with the Giants being among the teams that had been connected to the prospect during the pre-draft process. The defensive lineman has been described as “raw” by some analysts, but his upside makes him an intriguing selection.
Paye will join Ben Banogu, Tyquan Lewis, Al-Quadin Muhammed, Isaac Rochell, and Kemoko Turay in the Colts’ DE group.
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