The Indianapolis Colts saw a nice surprise take place in the middle of their defense during the 2018 season as the linebacker corps showed plenty of promise.
Starters: Darius Leonard, Anthony Walker
Reserves: Matthew Adams, Zaire Franklin, Najee Goode
2018 position review
Though the Colts technically ran a 4-3 alignment, they were in nickel so much that they typically had two linebackers on the field. That was Leonard and Walker the majority of the time.
Leonard had a historic rookie season leading the NFL in tackles while being second on the Colts with 7.0 sacks. He finished with a First-Team All-Pro selection. Walker had a surprisingly strong season, especially against the run. The former fifth-round pick completes a nice duo with Leonard.
Adams carved out a nice role for himself as the third linebacker working mostly as a SAM when the Colts ran those packages. Franklin and Goode worked mostly on special teams.
Offseason outlook
With the emergence of Leonard and Walker as the starting duo, the Colts don’t have a need to add much to the linebacker corps. Adams carving out a role late in the year helped as well giving the defense some nice depth in the middle.
Franklin will likely continue to work on special teams and while the position isn’t a need, there is a chance the Colts look to add some back-end depth, especially with Goode being a free agent.
Level of concern
Low. The Colts are going to be addressing several areas on the defense and while they will likely add some depth in the draft, there isn’t a whole lot of concern with an All-Pro leading the group.
Potential additions
Free Agency: Brandon Marshall, Zach Brown
NFL Draft: Te’Von Coney, Kendall Joseph, Cole Holcomb
