Indianapolis Colts rookie defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo made his first appearance at practice during the 2021 season, which is a big milestone on the way to seeing game action.
Odeyingbo tore his Achilles in January while training for the NFL combine. The Colts still selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft but given his recovery timetable, he started the season on the Non-Football Injury list (NFI).
Being on that reserve list means Odeyingbo isn’t eligible to see game action until Week 9 at the earliest but the fact that he’s starting to log practices is an extremely encouraging sign that we’ll see the versatile pass rusher this season.
The Colts believed Odeyingbo was a first-round talent before the Achilles injury and wound up taking him with their second-round pick despite using their first-rounder on edge rusher Kwity Paye.
Given his size and length, the Colts envision Odeyingbo working himself into a role similar to that of Justin Tuck during his run with the New York Giants.
There’s a long way to go before that kind of comparison truly holds water, but seeing him make his practice debut is a step in the right direction.
