The Indianapolis Colts will be placing second-year defensive end Kemoko Turay on the injured reserve list following the news that he suffered a broken ankle during the 19-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5.
The 24-year-old pass rusher was coming into his own, but the Colts must now look for ways to replace his production on the edge. It won’t be one player—likely a rotation behind starters Jabaal Sheard and Justin Houston—and it could involve a mix of players currently on the roster and those that can be brought in.
Here are five defensive ends who can fill in for the Colts after Turay’s season-ending injury:
Al-Quadin Muhammad
Already on the roster and holding a role in the defensive end room, Muhammad is a young and developing pass rusher that has shown his share of flashes thus far through the season. He was the biggest beneficiary when Sheard went down, and he’s likely to see the same now.
Muhammad has a very high ceiling to be a productive pass rusher and edge setter for the Colts. He’s a nice fit for the attacking front Matt Eberflus likes to use. He does, however, need to show more consistency in getting to the quarterback. He oftentimes gets stuck on blocks and can’t get to a second move to get pressure.
Muhammad already has a role in the defense, and it is likely he will be one of the main contributors to fill in for Turay.
Ben Banogu
The one that everyone wants to see get more playing time with Turay out. The Colts spent a second-round pick on the uber-athletic Banogu out of TCU and while they envisioned him working more as a SAM backer at first, he’s been working solely as a defensive end since the preseason.
Banogu didn’t see any defensive snaps in Week 5—likely due to the return of Sheard—but now he will get the chance to develop in some real game action while making an impact off the edge. It takes time for rookie defensive ends to develop fully, and Banogu has shown there is still a long road ahead.
However, he’s had some flashes here and there that show he can be a productive (albeit inconsistent) situational pass rusher at this point. He’ll certainly get the chance to prove he deserves a bigger role now that Turay is done for the season.
Gerri Green
Another draft pick for the Colts in the 2019 class, Green was a selection that quickly fell out of favor in the competition for a roster spot during the preseason. He was waived at the roster cuts and while the Colts wanted him back, he opted to sign with the New England Patriots practice squad.
That didn’t last long as Green was waived and then re-signed by the Colts to the practice squad where he has been Sept. 23. If the Colts opt to keep everything in house, Green could be an option to fill the minimal pass-rushing role while serving as a special teams contributor.
The sixth-round pick is a project for the Colts so he could very well stay on the practice squad while the team looks elsewhere, but he was a selection for a reason, and that could be enough to get him a fringe spot on the roster.
Obum Gwacham
Should the Colts look for a veteran available on the market, Gwacham is likely one of the top options. The 28-year-old already has experience working in the Colts defense as he spent training camp and the preseason with the team before being released at the roster cuts.
Gwacham is a pass rusher that knows how to win with power. He flashed a bit during the preseason for the Colts and could be a veteran they look to bring back. He would have a full bye week to get back into the system and be ready to go for the Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans.
Carroll Phillips
A preseason favorite for the Colts in 2019, Phillips was one of those stories where he deserved a roster spot at the cutdown day, but there simply wasn’t enough room for the 27-year-old.
Phillips had a very strong preseason and one that could certainly land him consideration from the Colts. He’s fast and bendy off the edge, which is exactly how they could replace Turay—who holds a similar pass-rushing skill set. Phillips could be used as a situational pass rusher and one that brings plenty of juice and motor off the edge.
While it was the preseason and it should be taken with a grain of salt, Phillips showed he can be productive in the gap-shooting front for Eberflus and should be one of the top candidates to bring in for depth.
