ESPN's 'most pressing question' for Indianapolis Colts after 2025 NFL draft
ESPN's 'most pressing question' for Indianapolis Colts after 2025 NFL draft What is one big question still facing the Indianapolis Colts after the 2025 NFL draft? ESPN weighs in.
What is one big question still facing the Indianapolis Colts after the 2025 NFL draft?
With the dust having settled, each of ESPN's NFL Nation reporters highlighted one question still facing each of their respective teams. For the Colts, Stephen Holder wonders if the Colts have done enough at the linebacker position.
"The Colts waited until the seventh round to draft Wisconsin's Hunter Wohler, who is a safety the Colts intend to convert to linebacker," Holder wrote. "This is a vulnerable area for the Colts, who already had challenges in coverage down the middle of the field last season."
It seemed to fly under the radar, but linebacker was one of the more pressing positions of need that the Colts had this offseason because there is a starting spot up for grabs with EJ Speed now in Houston.
GM Chris Ballard has made it clear that the team likes what they have in second-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies, who did impress during his relatively limited playing time last season. Carlies, who was the third linebacker when the Colts were in their 4-3 base, proved to be a reliable tackler, and as a former safety, limited pass-catchers to only 6.0 yards per catch, per PFF.
"When we took (Carlies) and moved him from safety to linebacker, we thought the transition was really, really good," Ballard said before the NFL draft via the Indy Star.
However, Carlies also has just 242 career defensive snaps, so assuming that he can seamlessly transition into a starting role comes with some risk as well.
In addition to liking the linebackers that they have on the roster, Ballard would also mention during the post-draft press conference that in Lou Anarumo's defensive scheme, there is really only a need for a Mike and a Will linebacker in that system.
While that factor can potentially impact how many players on the roster the Colts keep at the position, it doesn't answer the question above about whether or not they are good enough at the starting spot.
In Anarumo's defense, where versatility and disguising coverages are key elements, a lot can be put on the plate of the second and third-level defenders.
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