The Indianapolis Colts have been looking for a boost to their pass rush since for a few seasons now, and they may have taken a step in the right direction by signing free-agent edge rusher Samson Ebukam.
The team ranked 25th in the league with just 33 sacks during the 2021 season. Hoping to bolster that production, the team traded for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in March of 2022. Ngakoue had ties to defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and previous productive seasons, including 12 sacks in 2017.
Unfortunately, Ngakoue did not bring the boost the Colts were hoping for. He ended last season second in pressures on the team to DeForest Buckner and registered 9.5 sacks. Those are solid numbers on the surface, but he also ranked 50th in pass-rush win rate, according to Pro Football Focus.
So, it makes sense that the Colts let Ngakoue walk and signed the former Niners pass rusher to a three-year deal.
Ebukam’s sack production is not the same level as Ngakoue, but sacks don’t tell the whole story. He effectively utilizes his disruption to create pressure and collapse the pocket. Those abilities allowed him to make 43 pressures at an 11.8% pressure rate, 13 quarterback hits, and seven tackles for loss.
The Colts must decide if Ebukam will be a starter or a rotational piece. The contract and his fit in the role as the LEO suggest likely points to the latter.
Either way, it should not change their draft strategy. The team needs depth and effective pass rushers if they want to compete with the division and the league. Even if that means taking a shot on Day 3 of the draft.
The 2023 class is deep, with many quality value players that should be available well into the later rounds.
And while Ebukam appears to be a solid depth signing, a team can never have too many edge rushers.
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