Colts Work Out Five New Edge Rushers

Here is a brief breakdown of each player and what they could bring to the Colts.

Deslin Alexandre

Deslin Alexandre has no NFL statistics, but played for five years with the Pittsburgh Panthers. Colts defensive line coach, Charlie Partridge, was with the Panthers while Alexandre was there, so the familiarity makes sense.

Alexandre has been with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, and now hopes his workout with Indianapolis will give him another shot to make an impact in the NFL.

Shaquil Barrett

Shaquil Barrett is the most experienced and successful of the five defenders worked out. Barrett has logged two Pro Bowls, a Second Team All-Pro, and won two Super Bowls in his NFL career (Denver Broncos - 2015, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 2020).

Barrett also led the NFL in sacks during the 2019 season with 19.5 and has 59.0 in 132 games. While Barrett has slowed down after playing 10 years in the pros, he can still provide depth and veteran help for a defensive end-needy team like the Colts.

Jasheen Davis

Jasheen Davis went undrafted out of the University of Wake Forest this year, but was picked up by the New Orleans Saints before getting waived on August 25th. Davis played well in college through 49 games, logging 25.5 sacks and 152 tackles.

Davis is still finding his footing in the NFL, and given how badly the Colts need defensive edge help after key injuries to Ebukam and Lewis, he has a big shot to make an impression and potentially earn a spot in the Colts' ranks.

DJ Johnson

DJ Johnson has played in the NFL for three seasons, all with the Carolina Panthers, before being released by the NFC South squad on September 30th. Throughout 31 games and five starts, Johnson has put up 62 tackles and four tackles for loss.

Johnson's experience on the field was as recent as a few weeks ago, meaning his workout might be the smoothest in operation. It will be interesting to see if Johnson did enough to warrant a spot to help Indy with their edge depth.

Benton Whitley

Benton Whitley played college football at Holy Cross, and was good enough to earn a spot with the Los Angeles Rams' practice squad in 2022. After that stint, he had stops with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Arizona Cardinals.

Whitley doesn't have a lot of in-game experience in the NFL, but he has a golden opportunity with the slew of injuries to Lou Anarumo's defense to make an impact in the Circle City.