The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2026 offseason with a clear mandate: bolster the defensive front. While the team showed flashes of promise last season, especially on the back end of the defense, it’s no secret that the pass rush wasn’t where it needed to be. If Indy wants to take that next step - not just making the playoffs, but making noise once they’re there - it starts up front.
Let’s start with the good news. Despite a rash of injuries, the Colts’ secondary held its own.
Imagine how much more dangerous that unit could’ve been if corners Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner had stayed healthy down the stretch. The coverage held up well enough, but the lack of consistent pressure up front left them exposed far too often.
A great secondary can only do so much when the quarterback has all day to throw.
Up front, Laiatu Latu was the lone bright spot in the pass rush. He showed flashes of becoming a cornerstone edge rusher, leading the team with 8.5 sacks.
But even he had stretches of inconsistency, and the drop-off behind him was steep. DeForest Buckner, one of the few other proven difference-makers on the line, was solid early but missed much of the second half with a neck injury.
Without him, the already-thin group struggled to generate pressure.
So where does that leave the Colts? Well, with no first-round picks in either the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft - thanks to trades made by GM Chris Ballard - the team can’t count on landing a top-tier edge rusher through the draft.
That puts the spotlight squarely on free agency, where they’ll need to get creative and aggressive. The goal shouldn’t be to find a single savior, but to build a deeper, more reliable rotation.
One name that should be high on Indy’s radar: Dre’Mont Jones.
Jones, the former Ohio State standout, just put together the best season of his NFL career - and he did it while splitting time between the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. In 2025, he racked up 7 sacks and 24 quarterback hits - both career highs.
That hit total is especially eye-catching: it’s 11 more than he’s ever had in a single season, and it would’ve led the Colts in 2025. He also added seven tackles for loss and didn’t miss a single tackle all year - a testament to his technique and reliability.
For a Colts team that struggled to finish plays and get off the field on third down, that kind of production would be a game-changer. Jones doesn’t just pressure quarterbacks - he finishes plays and brings them down.
And at 29 years old, he’s playing the best football of his career. According to Spotrac, he’s projected to command a deal in the range of $20 million over two years.
That’s a fair price for a player trending upward and offering the kind of versatility Indy desperately needs.
The timing couldn’t be better. Several of the Colts’ edge rushers - including Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis, and Kwity Paye - are set to hit free agency, and there’s little reason to believe they’ll be back.
None of them provided the kind of consistent disruption this defense needs. Bringing in a player like Jones not only raises the floor of the defensive line but gives Indy a proven playmaker who can complement Latu and ease the burden on Buckner.
Bottom line: if the Colts want to make real strides in 2026, they can’t afford to roll out the same defensive front and hope for different results. Dre’Mont Jones isn’t just a good fit - he’s the kind of move that could help unlock the full potential of this defense.
Pair him with a healthy Buckner and a developing Latu, and suddenly, you’ve got a front that can actually dictate terms. That’s how you win in today’s NFL.