TheIndianapolis Colts had their first major injury of the 2024 off-season. Defensive end and last year’s sack leader, Samson Ebukam, tore his Achilles, effectively ending his 2024 campaign before it started. NFL insider Ian Rapoport had the news on X.
#Colts veteran DE Samson Ebukam, who went down in practice yesterday, tore his Achilles, source said. His season is over before it began. pic.twitter.com/8AG1r4AP1K
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 29, 2024
This is a massive loss to what many analysts considered a potential top-10 defensive front for Indianapolis. Last season, Ebukam tore it up with more playing time by leading Indy in sacks with 9.5. He also accumulated constant quarterback pressures (48 per Pro Football Focus) and stopped the run with efficiency (80.0 grade; led the team). However, now that Ebukam is likely lost for the year, what will Indianapolis do now?
Expect names like Dayo Odeyingbo and Tyquan Lewis to see increased snaps. Last year, Odeyingbo set career-highs in sacks (8.0), tackles (38), and fumble recoveries (2). As for the veteran rotational pass-rusher Lewis, he played great in his role after bouncing back from Patellar Tendon issues, snagging 4.0 sacks and 44 QB pressures in 2023.
Along with Odeyingbo and Lewis, there’s a chance that Kwity Paye might be on the field more than ever. After a surge of 8.5 sacks and 52 tackles in 2023, Paye wants to continue improving as he has every one of his three NFL seasons. Lastly, but certainly not least, is the rookie 15th overall selection, Laiatu Latu.
Expect Latu to potentially be thrown into a type of starting role in 2024. Not to say Latu wasn’t going to see plenty of playing time with a healthy Ebukam, but especially now that the 2023 Indy sack leader is likely out. Latu brings the heat with his pass rush and constantly varies his moves to ward off blockers. Along with constant pressure, Latu is a steady hand in run defense and can be moved around all parts of the defensive line by position coach Charlie Partridge. Latu is one of the favorites to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year for a reason, so Indianapolis shouldn’t shy away from giving the former UCLA star more playing time now that they need a solution for losing Ebukam.
The Colts will likely be able to figure things out and make up for this big-time injury to Ebukam. They’ve done what they can to solidify the depth of both the defensive ends and tackles, ensuring a solution for something like this. We’ll see how losing 2023’s best team sack artist will affect the Colts defense in 2024.
