The Indianapolis Colts defense was a unit that showed immense promise throughout the season and even enjoyed a nice stretch that featured them leading the way into the second half.
However, there was a lot of inconsistent play from the unit in 2019. That mostly comes from being an extremely young unit. The group is heading in the right direction and should benefit from some new additions this offseason whether they come through free agency or the NFL draft.
The Colts had 1,034 total snaps on defense and 425 total snaps on special teams during the regular season. All snap count information is courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
We took a look at the offensive snap counts. Now, let’s take a look at the defensive and special teams snap counts for the 2019 season:
| Name | Position | Defense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Justin Houston | DE | 674 | 65.2% | 1 | .24% |
| Grover Stewart | DT | 626 | 60.5% | 157 | 36.9% |
| Denico Autry | DT | 620 | 59.96% | 79 | 18.6% |
| Jabaal Sheard | DE | 569 | 55.0% | 29 | 6.8% |
| Al-Quadin Muhammad | DE | 482 | 46.6% | 135 | 31.8% |
| Margus Hunt | DT | 450 | 43.5% | 158 | 37.2% |
| Ben Banogu | DE | 271 | 26.2% | 27 | 6.4% |
| Tyquan Lewis | DT | 225 | 21.8% | 17 | 4.0% |
| Kemoko Turay | DE | 81 | 7.8% | 10 | 2.4% |
| Trevon Coley | DT | 68 | 6.6% | 16 | 3.8% |
| Jihad Ward | DT | 28 | 2.7% | 4 | .94% |
| Carl Davis | DT | 7 | .68% | — | — |
While there are a few surprises, this group was essentially the same throughout the season. Houston led the way thanks to a strong season while Stewart emerged as a solid early-down interior defensive tackle against the run.
It was a bit disappointing for Banogu and Lewis, both of which struggled to get on the field much—one due to a limited role and the other due to injuries. Turay likely would have been near the top had he not suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5.
This is a group that could undergo some major change this offseason.
Linebacker
| Name | Position | Defense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Darius Leonard | LB | 828 | 80.1% | 58 | 13.7% |
| Anthony Walker | LB | 811 | 78.4% | 140 | 32.9% |
| Bobby Okereke | LB | 472 | 45.7% | 168 | 39.5% |
| Matthew Adams | LB | 104 | 10.1% | 306 | 72% |
| E.J. Speed | LB | 33 | 3.2% | 152 | 35.8% |
| Zaire Franklin | LB | — | — | 346 | 81.4% |
| Skai Moore | LB | — | — | 7 | 1.7% |
There weren’t any surprises with this group. Leonard and Walker led the way while the former played the second-most snaps among all defensive players in 2019 despite missing three games with a concussion.
Okereke was the one that emerged to be the third linebacker. He had a strong second half of the season that could put him in the running for a starting role in 2020.
Adams and Franklin continue to lead the special teams unit for the second year in a row.
Cornerback
| Name | Position | Defense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Rock Ya-Sin | CB | 851 | 82.3% | 165 | 38.2% |
| Pierre Desir | CB | 683 | 66.1% | 27 | 6.4% |
| Kenny Moore II | CB | 631 | 61.0% | 53 | 12.5% |
| Marvell Tell III | CB | 252 | 24.4% | 199 | 46.8% |
| Quincy Wilson | CB | 122 | 11.8% | 28 | 6.6.% |
| Shakial Taylor | CB | 60 | 5.8% | 3 | .71% |
| Ryan Lewis | CB | — | — | 61 | 14.4% |
The rookie in Ya-Sin led all defensive players in snaps played during the 2019 season. It was a bit of an up and down season but he had some valuable learning experiences. Desir and Moore were behind him—the latter would have had more snaps had he not dealt with an ankle issue the last month of the season.
Tell had some promise but there is a long road of development ahead. Wilson is trending toward being a bust pick while Taylor did well for being an undrafted free agent.
Safety
| Name | Position | Defense | % | Special Teams | % |
| Malik Hooker | FS | 788 | 76.2% | 22 | 5.2% |
| Khari Willis | SS | 620 | 59.96% | 58 | 13.7% |
| Clayton Geathers | SS | 527 | 50.97% | 130 | 30.6% |
| George Odum | FS | 282 | 27.8% | 339 | 79.8% |
| Rolan Milligan | SS | 130 | 12.6% | 166 | 39.1% |
| Briean Boddy-Calhoun | FS | 67 | 6.5% | 12 | 2.8% |
It was expected that Willis would eventually take over the starting role next to Hooker at some point in the season. That happened just four games into the campaign, and Willis had a strong rookie season.
Geathers held the starting role but eventually gave way. His time in Indy is likely done. Odum was a strong depth piece and a key staple on special teams and should be ready to hold the same role in 2020.
Special Teams
| Name | Position | Special Teams | % |
| Rigoberto Sanchez | P | 209 | 49.2% |
| Luke Rhodes | LS | 132 | 31.2% |
| Adam Vinatieri | K | 53 | 12.5% |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 17 | 4.0% |
Not much to see here. Rhodes and Sanchez are staples in the special teams unit and will be for the next few years.
Vinatieri had his worst season since entering the NFL, missing 14 combined kicks—the most of his career. He eventually gave way to the rookie McLaughlin, who filled in nicely when Vinatieri was placed on the injured reserve list.
