Colts' DE Kwity Paye Produces Impressive Start to 2023

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off of a heartbreaking loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The final score may not indicate it, but the Colts’ defensive game plan for the Jaguars was a really good one. 

While I can easily make a case for Zaire Franklin or DeForest Buckner having the best game out of anyone, I’d rather discuss the outstanding performance by Kwity Paye and what this could mean moving forward.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard has swung and missed at the edge position several times in his tenure. Several players that didn’t pan out for whatever reason, whether it be health or ability, are Tarell Basham, Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu, and Tyquan Lewis, who is still a solid rotational piece. All were selected on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

In 2021, in the first round, the Colts selected Paye, who was an athletic freak just oozing with potential. While he’s shown flashes in his first two seasons, due to injury he hasn’t been quite able to put it all together until now. 

In Paye’s first game this season, he showed the total package. Not only was he his usual stout self in the run game, but he was also a force in the passing game. He finished the game with four tackles, two tackles for losses, and one sack. While those are solid stats, they don’t quite illustrate truly how great he played.

ESPN/NFL Next Gen stats charted him with the third-highest pass rush win rate ahead of people like T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett, who were tied at ninth, respectfully. Paye was winning with speed and power. He also displayed an array of moves with counters off of those. This was the first time I’ve seen Paye have a rush plan, and when things didn’t go as expected initially, he quickly countered with something else.

Paye looked like an alpha edge for the first time, in my opinion. Even with how good he played last season, I always felt like his ceiling may be a really good No.2, but he’s slowly changing my mind.

Paye, if he continues to develop, can be an essential long-term piece to this team. This is his third season, and it’s imperative the team get a definitive answer on him between now and the end of the season. The Colts, at the end of the season, have to decide if he is worth picking up the fifth-year option on, and that’s not the type of decision you want to make with hesitancy.

The best thing that can happen is Paye plays this year out, becomes that double-digit sack guy, and solidifies himself as the best pass rusher this team has had since Robert Mathis. If this Sunday indicates how this season will go for him, he’s well on his way.