5 days Ago
The Indianapolis Colts have spent most of this offseason revamping their defense. The first drastic change was bringing in Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator, a veteran defensive coach who led a fantastic Cincinnati Bengals defense to a Super Bowl appearance back in 2021. The next step was hiring top-tier defensive assistants like Chris Hewitt and Jerome Henderson to bring even more skillsets to the coaching staff.
After the defensive staff was figured out, the Colts finally got aggressive in free agency. The team signed former All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward to a three-year contract and also locked in safety Camryn Bynum to a four-year deal. Those two players hope to improve one of the league's worst secondaries from this past season .
With major changes made in the coaching staff and in the defensive back room, the Colts' defense is looking very solid heading into 2025. The lone missing piece is an off-ball linebacker who can complement Zaire Franklin. Franklin, a 2024 Second-Team All-Pro, is one of the better run-and-chase playmakers in the league, but he needs a running mate who can lock it down in coverage and provide some reliability alongside him.
That perfect piece to put next to Franklin might be in this upcoming draft. UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger is a near-perfect amalgamation of what this team is looking for. He has the coverage chops and the instincts to make Anarumo swoon, and his walk-on backstory, combined with his top-tier athleticism, should make him a favorite of Chris Ballard come draft night.
If the Colts want to truly complete this revamped defense, adding a player like Schwesinger would go a long way. Coverage Upside Schwesinger is one of the premier coverage linebackers in this draft class. He possesses excellent vision and footwork in his zone drops, and he has the long speed to carry vertical routes down the field.
Unlike past linebackers in Indy, Schwesinger has the ability to feel routes behind him and get into throwing lanes, a skill set that this team has lacked for a long time. Last season, in Schwesinger's lone year as a starter, he came away with two pass breakups and two interceptions in 376 coverage snaps. He was at his best on true passing downs, as he locked down the middle of the field with his range and his instincts on a regular basis.
He has to improve his ability to redirect after play-action, but that is something that will come with time in an NFL system. Anarumo had a similar player in Logan Wilson in Cincinnati. If the Colts want to replicate some of that early Cincinnati success, grabbing a cover guy like Schwesinger is a must.
Run-and-Chase Ability Schwesinger's calling card in this draft isn't his ability in run defense, but he is more than capable in that department. He moves exceptionally well down the line and tracks ball carriers down in the open field. He isn't afraid to mix it up and be physical, and he even takes some risks every now and then by shooting through open gaps.
He is also a reliable tackler, keeping a low 7.6% missed tackle rate this past season (according to Pro Football Focus ). Schwesinger is a player who needs to be kept clean in order to have success in the run game, but he is a disrupter in the trenches.
The Colts have two outstanding defensive tackles in Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner, so the team is more than capable of keeping a player like Schwesinger clean on early downs. He won't rack up quite as many tackles as Franklin, but he might come close with his ability to close ground and throw his body around. What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily! Pure Disruption At the end of the day, Schwesinger is a player who knocks offenses off track with his ability to create impact plays.
Whether it's a pass breakup or a tackle for a loss, he understands the importance of creating negative plays and making stops. According to PFF , he ranked number 11 in this class among all linebackers in total stops this past season. He was particularly deadly against screen passes last season, shutting down those lay-ups before they could really get going.
The clips below are from back-to-back plays against Minnesota this past year. Both easy completions turned into massive losses for the offense. Schwesinger is also one of the better blitzing linebackers in this draft.
He flies downhill with reckless abandon and is relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback. On just 62 pass rushes last season, he finished with four sacks and 14 hurries for UCLA. Essentially, he directly impacted the opposing quarterback on nearly 30% of his rush attempts last year.
The film backs up this lofty number, as opposing quarterbacks were in trouble when he was in pursuit. The Bottom Line Schwesinger is a fantastic linebacker prospect in this draft. He may not have the multi-year starting experience, and there are a few warts in his game, but he is a phenomenal athlete who is a plus player in coverage.
His ability to create negative plays is on another level, and he has the potential to be a legit three-down backer in the NFL. The Colts have been searching for an impact player against the run and the pass since the sudden fall of Shaquille Leonard. Schwesinger likely won't hit the same peaks that Leonard hit, as nobody else in NFL history has hit those peaks, but he can be a plus starter in Anarumo's system.
His ability in coverage and as a blitzer would allow the veteran defensive coach to be as multiple as he wants to be next season. The Colts' defense is nearly ready for the 2025 season. They have drastically improved their secondary, the front seven has multiple returning impact players, and the coaching staff is much more modern and ready for the current NFL.
The lone missing piece is a do-it-all linebacker that can impact the game in coverage. Schwesinger has the ability to be that guy. If he is there for the Colts in the second round, the team should run that card in as quickly as possible.
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