Best-Case Scenario Revealed for Colts Defense

"Up front, Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu are both past first-round picks who need to have breakout seasons. The former has had flashes, but the Colts need him to be a double-digit sack player moving forward. If he and Latu can take their next step, Indianapolis could exceed expectations to become a middle-of-the-pack defense."

In the secondary, the Colts rolled out JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones as the starting cornerbacks last season. Brents suffered an unfortunate injury in Week 1 last September and was sidelined for practically the entire season. Jones, on the other hand, started all 17 games, recording 100 total tackles, two interceptions, and five passes defended.

As a seventh-round pick, Jones has stepped up for the Colts. At the same time, it was unrealistic to expect him to carry the brunt of the work for a secondary that desperately needed more talent. Now that Ward is on the roster, the Colts can shovel some of the workload off of Jones's shoulders.

At safety, Bynum will replace Julian Blackmon's role. Blackmon had played five straight seasons in Indy, but Anarumo seems uninterested in bringing him back for a sixth. Instead, Bynum's four years of experience with the Minnesota Vikings will come into Indianapolis to play alongside Nick Cross.

If Ward and Bynum fulfill their respective duties, it should open up opportunities for the pass rush. The Colts lost Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency, but that shouldn't be a dealbreaker.

Indy has plenty of talent, like Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu, Samson Ebukam, and JT Tuimoloau. These four will likely be the main pass rush rotation, with Tyquan Lewis sprinkled in. As Ballentine mentioned, the Colts will rely on big jumps from Paye and Latu to bolster sack numbers.

Paye tallied eight sacks last season, but could be within reach of double digits in Anarumo's system. Paye is undervalued as a run defender and should have an impact no matter the opposing play call.

Latu played half of the snaps last season and recorded four sacks in his rookie campaign. Doubling that number seems like a realistic expectation for a first-round edge rusher who posted 13 sacks in his final season at UCLA.

The Colts will need improvement across the board if they want to make the postseason. If Ward and Bynum can help make that happen, the Colts should be in good hands.

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