Dayo Odeyingbo named Colts’ most intriguing project
The Indianapolis Colts are excited about what rookie Dayo Odeyingbo can bring to the defensive line, but they know it will take some time before he’s ready to contribute regularly.
Because of the torn Achilles he suffered in January, the second-round pick likely won’t be ready for the start of the season. Even with that, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report named Odeyingbo as the most intriguing project on the roster.
“Since they’re in win-now mode, the Indianapolis Colts will expect rookie first-round pick Kwity Paye to play a significant role alongside veterans Tyquan Lewis and Kemoko Turay on the edge in 2021. But Indy also used a Day 2 selection on an edge defender who won’t likely pay dividends until 2022 or beyond.
The main reason Dayo Odeyingbo is a project? He suffered an Achilles injury training for the Senior Bowl in January and is unlikely to make a huge impact this year. But the 6’5″, 285-pounder also needs to become stronger to hold up against pro-level offensive tackles, which is possible if he essentially redshirts in 2021 and focuses on building up his play strength.
The lengthy, explosive Vanderbilt product put together an impressive four-year career in the best conference in college football. He had 5.5 sacks in eight games as a senior and could develop into a double-digit-sack guy in the NFL.
It just won’t happen overnight.”
The upside is real when it comes to Odeyingbo’s ceiling as a pass rusher. The Colts believe he can have a similar impact and role to that of Justin Tuck with the New York Giants over a decade ago. If the Colts get that kind of player, it will be a massive win.
It isn’t clear when Odeyingbo will return from Achilles rehab, but the Colts feel he will have a versatile role working both on the edge and the interior because of his size, length and burst off the snap.
First-rounder Kwity Paye may be getting all the love right now, but Odeyingbo has some real upside.
