Overlooked Colts Defender Shows Star Potential vs. Rams

Adebawore has struggled to find a go-to move as a pass rusher in the past, but he appears to have found the swim move this offseason.

It's incredible how similar his rushes looked to Buckner this week, and it's easy to see the influence that Buckner has had on the young player. This next rush isn't as clean as the one above, but it gets the job done nonetheless.

Adebawore is initially double-teamed on this rush, but the right guard passes him off to the center as he slants inside. Once engaged, Adebawore quickly sheds the center with a nasty swim move, and meets up with Latu at the quarterback for a near half sack on the play. The energy and the power on display here are fantastic from the young player.

He even mixed in a nice under move as well for a near sack late in the game. Rams' right guard Kevin Dotson had to tackle Adebawore to keep him away from the quarterback on this rush, but it still showcases just how far he has come with his bag of rush moves.

He was once an explosive player who only knew how to bull rush, but now he looks to be a legit pass rush weapon for the Colts.

Run Defense Coming Along

The biggest weak point in Adebawore's game has always been his run defense. He is a bit undersized for an interior defensive lineman, which has left him as a target for opposing run games.

The Colts have countered that a bit this season by using him more on passing downs and in under looks where he can play out as a three-technique or even as a four-technique. These under/Bear fronts have provided good protection for Adebawore and have allowed him to shoot gaps with his speed.

He had an impressive run stuff early in the first quarter by shooting a backside gap. He ripped through the line on the outside zone run and ran down Kyren Williams for a short gain on the play.

If his run defense keeps flashing like this going forward, there is no reason for him to see fewer than 20 snaps a game on defense this season.

The Bottom Line

The Colts' pass rush has been up and down to start the season. A few players that the team is relying on to be impact players haven't stepped up, and it has led to an increased reliance on Buckner and Latu. The team needed a third pass rusher to emerge in Week 4, and they may have found their guy in Adetomiwa Adebawore.

Adebawore is an elite athlete who is finally starting to put together a real move set as a pass rusher. He needs to keep getting rush opportunities going forward if the Colts want to disrupt opponents' passing games. He is too talented to not get more opportunities on this defensive line.