The Colts defense suffered a big blow last weekend when edge rusher Samson Ebukam tore his Achilles during practice.
Ebukam recorded a team-high 9.5 sacks during the 2023 season and was set to play a leading role again this year before his injury. If there’s any solace for the Colts after Ebukam’s injury, it may be that they had moved to bolster the position this offseason.
The Colts took Laiatu Latu in the first round of the draft and a quick transition to the professional ranks would help the Colts weather the loss of Ebukam. On Tuesday, Latu said that his veteran teammate’s mentorship will help with that process.
“He’s literally been helping me, been a big brother to me,” Latu said, via James Boyd of TheAthletic.com. “Working on different moves and stuff like that, learning from him, watching film with him. So I’m just trying to carry what he already was providing to the team, and I’m trying to boost that up so it doesn’t feel like we’re missing anybody.”
Latu isn’t the only option in Indianapolis as they also have Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Tyquan Lewis on the roster. The rookie might have the highest upside, though, and an early splash would be a welcome development for the Colts defense.