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Colts depending on 'big jump' from Laiatu Latu, says NFL analyst

The Indianapolis Colts are going to need a big jump this season from second-year defensive end Laiatu Latu.

With Dayo Odeyingbo now in Chicago after signing with the Bears as a free agent, the Colts are without their top pressure-getter from the 2024 season. The return of Samson Ebukam should help replace some of that lost production, but there is a lot of unknown when it comes to how quickly a defensive end can return to form after an Achilles injury.

"I think they’re depending on Laiatu Latu to take a big jump this year," wrote The Athletic's Ted Nguyen. "He needs to be a 10-sack guy on the edge, and if you have that, that kind of slots everybody into place. If DeForest Buckner doesn’t have to be the No. 1 guy, and he can be the No. 2 guy on the interior, that could be very effective. Kwity Paye, to me, he’s not a No. 1 edge rusher. But again, if Latu ascends to that No. 1 guy, it allows Paye to be a complementary piece. So, I think a lot depends on Latu. I liked him a lot coming into the (2024) draft, and I have faith he can become that guy."

Latu is coming off a solid rookie season, although his numbers aren't likely to jump off the stat sheet. He finished the year with 38 pressures, according to PFF, the second-most on the Colts. Latu also had four sacks.However, even though the production wasn't eye-popping, what was encouraging was his consistency. Out of 121 eligible defensive ends, Latue ranked 30th in PFF's pass-rush win rate metric.

When there is the consistent ability to win one-on-one reps, which Latu displayed, the production will follow and playing in Lou Anarumo's defense should help with that as well. In part, the Colts' pressure and sack numbers were so low last year because opposing offenses leaned heavily on the quick passing game to attack the secondary, making it difficult for the defensive front to get home regularly.

Latu, the Colts' first-round pick in 2024 and the first defender taken off the board, is going to have to shoulder that production workload this season, and if he can, as Nguyen mentions, it will make everyone around him better.

The name of the game is getting after the quarterback and when that is happening steadily, every defender on the field benefits.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts depending on 'big jump' from Laiatu Latu, says NFL analyst

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