All 32 teams (including Colts) ranked by edge rusher units (2024)

Paul Bretl

June 5, 2024 11:59 am ET

ESPNput together its ranking of all 32 edge rusher units ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Where did the Colts end up on this list?

A heavy investment this offseason into the defensive end – and defensive tackle – position has given the Colts a hockey-like rotation up front, with eight defenders they can rotate with what is expected to be little or no dropoff in play.

“We’re a D line that rotates,” said Dayo Odeyingbovia ESPN. “You look around the league and you look at the good D lines, they pretty much all rotate a lot. They have a lot of depth. So, that’s something that helps you be fresh and be ready to play a full 17-game season.

“As far as the sharing goes, I feel like we’re kind of used to it and it’s not really about counting reps. It’s more about making the reps count.”

At defensive end specifically, the Colts are returning Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Samson Ebukam, all of whom recorded at least 8.0 sacks last season. GM Chris Ballard would also re-sign Tyquan Lewis and draft Laiatu Latu in the first round of the NFL draft.

As a whole, the Colts’ defense is coming off a season in which they produced the fifth-most sacks in the NFL. However, if there is an area of improvement for this unit, it is in their consistency in getting after the quarterback after ranking 23rd in total pressures as a team. This means that a very high number of their pressures were converted to sacks–a ratio that may not be sustainable in 2024.

With that said, the Colts are positioned to have what should be one of the most disruptive defensive fronts in football, and for this team, their strength is in their numbers. With the depth that they have coupled with the variety of skill sets on the roster, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley can rotate often, keeping everyone fresh, and really play to the matchups, putting each defender in the best position to be successful.

As the old saying goes, if you can control the line of scrimmage, you can control the game.

“This is probably the best front line I’ve played with,” said linebacker EJ Speed when meeting with reporters this offseason.

Now, on to ESPN’s rankings–here is where the Colts’ defensive ends rank among the rest of the NFL:

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32. Atlanta Falcons

Nov 22, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons helmets on the bench during their game against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Lorenzo Carter, Zach Harrison, Arnold Ebiketie, Bralen Trice, James Smith-Williams

31. Washington Commanders

Nov 23, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of a Washington Commanders helmet during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Dorance Armstrong, Clelin Ferrell, Dante Fowler Jr., K.J. Henry, Andre Jones

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dec 1, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmets sit on an equipment box before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

YaYa Diaby, Randy Gregory, Chris Braswell, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson

29. Tennessee Titans

Oct 8, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; A Tennessee Titans helmet sits in the end zone before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Harold Landry, Arden Key, Rashad Weaver, Jaylen Harrell, Caleb Murphy

28. Arizona Cardinals

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals helmet on the bench during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Zaven Collins, Darius Robinson, BJ Ojulari, Dennis Gardeck, Victor Dimukeje

27. Baltimore Ravens

Sep 22, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Baltimore Ravens helmet during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac

26. Denver Broncos

Dec 15, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Denver Broncos helmet during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Ronnie Perkins

25. Buffalo Bills

Jan 24, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Buffalo Bills helmet in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Gregory Rousseau, AJ Epenesa, Von Miller, Casey Toohill, Dawuane Smoot

24. Kansas City Chiefs

Nov 3, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Kansas City Chiefs helmet during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, Charles Omenihu, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Malik Herring

23. Carolina Panthers

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Jadeveon Clowney, D.J. Wonnum, K’Lavon Chaisson, DJ Johnson, Amare Barno

22. Los Angeles Rams

Dec 1, 2019; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of an Los Angeles Rams helmet against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Byron I. Young, Michael Hoecht, Jared Verse, Nick Hampton, Keir Thomas

21. New England Patriots

Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a New England Patriots helmet against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Matthew Judon, Anfernee Jennings, Keion White, Deatrich Wise Jr., Josh Uche

20. Chicago Bears

Nov 10, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; A detailed view of the Chicago Bears helmet before the game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson, Jacob Martin, Austin Booker

19. Seattle Seahawks

Sep 30, 2018; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of a Seattle Seahawks helmet against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

18. Detroit Lions

Dec 20, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; View of a Detroit Lions helmet on the bench before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Paschal, Marcus Davenport, James Houston, Nate Lynn

17. Indianapolis Colts

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu, Samson Ebukam, Dayo Odeyingbo, Tyquan Lewis

16. Philadelphia Eagles

Sep 26, 2019; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Philadelphia Eagles helmet sits on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt

15. New York Giants

Nov 24, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; A detailed view of the New York Giants helmet during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Carlos Basham, Tomon Fox

14. Minnesota Vikings

Nov 3, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Minnesota Vikings helmet during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Patrick Jones, Jihad Ward

13. Jacksonville Jaguars

Oct 29, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars helmet on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Joshua Allen, Travon Walker, Trevis Gipson, Yasir Abdullah, Myles Cole

12. New York Jets

Dec 29, 2019; Orchard Park, New York, USA; General view of a New York Jets helmet prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Haason Reddick, Jermaine Johnson II, Will McDonald IV, Micheal Clemons, Braiden McGregor

11. Green Bay Packers

Oct 27, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Green Bay Packers helmet during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Brenton Cox Jr

10. Cincinnati Bengals

Oct 29, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A view of a Bengals helmet on the sidelines in the game of the Indianapolis Colts against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Hubbard, Trey Hendrickson, Myles Murphy, Cameron Sample, Joseph Ossai

9. San Francisco 49ers

Dec 9, 2018; Santa Clara, CA, USA; General view of the San Francisco 49ers helmet against the Denver Broncos during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Drake Jackson, Yetur Gross-Matos, Robert Beal Jr.

8. Las Vegas Raiders

Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Maxx Crosby, Tyree Wilson, Malcolm Koonce, Janarius Robinson, David Ebuka Agoha

7. Miami Dolphins

Dec 29, 2019; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; A Miami Dolphins helmet rests on cooler during the second half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Shaquil Barrett, Chop Robinson, Cameron Goode

6. New Orleans Saints

Nov 17, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; A detail view of New Orleans Saints helmet during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Carl Granderson, Cameron Jordan, Chase Young, Isaiah Foskey, Payton Turner

5. Los Angeles Chargers

Oct 22, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Los Angeles Chargers helmet against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree, Chris Rumph I

4. Houston Texans

Jan 12, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Houston Texans helmet during the AFC Divisional Round playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr., Denico Autry, Derek Barnett, Dylan Horton

3. Dallas Cowboys

Jan 5, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a Dallas Cowboys helmet prior to the NFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shane Roper-USA TODAY Sports

Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland, Sam Williams, Durrell Johnson

2. Cleveland Browns

Dec 24, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of a Cleveland Browns helmet prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Bears won 20-3. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Alex Wright, Isaiah McGuire

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

Jun 12, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; A Pittsburgh Steelers helmet sits on the field during minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jeremiah Moon, Kyron Johnson

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