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- Mar 19, 2019
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On one side of Buckner will be defensive end Justin Houston, who had something of a career resurrection in his first season with the Colts last year after posting 11 sacks.
"Justin is one of the best in the game," Buckner said. "I mean he is a talented player against the run and obviously against the pass. I mean he is a quarterback's worst nightmare."
Having two very well-established starters on the defensive line who can get after the quarterback in Buckner and Houston is great for the Colts, but that's not where the pass-rush threat ends.
The Colts hope to see yet another jump in progress from young defensive ends Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu. Turay was darn-near unblockable at times in 2019, but his season unfortunately came to an end in just the fifth game after suffering an ankle injury. Banogu was a rookie last year and showed some big flashes, and is expected to take that second-year jump that we often see from athletically gifted pass-rushers.
There are also a couple of defensive linemen on the Colts who are capable of providing pressure from either the inside or outside in Denico Autry and Tyquan Lewis. Both have a "home" position of three-technique, but have had some success lining up and rushing from defensive end.
Among this main group, the Colts truly have some productive pass-rushers, and the stats and grades back that up.
In 2019, Turay had a pass-rush grade of 91.0 from PFF before getting injured, which finished as the third-best among edge defenders in the NFL on the year. Houston's 81.9 grade was seventh.
From the inside, Buckner and Autry both graded very well, as Buckner's 73.8 was 15th among interior defensive linemen, and Autry's 68.1 was 17th.
"Grove (Grover Stewart) in the middle, Kemoko on the outside, Ben Banogu, Denico – all of these guys, they are all talented in their own way and can affect the quarterback," Buckner said. "My whole thing is being able to get on the field with all of them, being able to build that chemistry because I know we can do a lot this year."
It's tremendous when you get pass-rush productivity out of the players and positions that you expect it from, but it's a coach's dream when you get that productivity out of those spots that traditionally don't create a ton of heat for opposing quarterbacks.
Linebacker Darius Leonard has had at least five sacks in each of his first two seasons, and was tied for PFF's third-best pass-rushing grade among off-ball linebackers in 2019 with a 78.4.
Fellow linebackers Anthony Walker and Bobby Okereke, as well as cornerback Kenny Moore II, had six sacks between them last season as well, and Moore II has become one of the most effective pass-rushers from the slot in the league.
The Colts also have some other contributors on the defensive line who can provide some pressure but also help against the run.
Al-Quadin Muhammad's role could see a jump after former starting left end Jabaal Sheard hit free agency, and Stewart and Sheldon Day are also expected to be heavy contributors from the nose tackle spot.
There is some new, unproven blood in the depth of the Colts' defensive line depth chart as well after the Colts signed defensive end Kendall Coleman as an undrafted free agent and selected defensive tackle Rob Windsor in the sixth round of this year's NFL Draft. Ends Gerri Green and Jegs Jegede will be competing for roles throughout training camp as well, while rookie undrafted free agents Kameron Cline and Chris Williams try and make some noise from the interior.