NFL exec: Colts set up nicely with Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo
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The Indianapolis Colts have gotten mixed reviews about their 2021 draft class—from the outside—but the team feels they grabbed some cornerstone pieces in pass rushers Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo.
The upside is tremendous with those two picks and some NFL executives believe the Colts have set themselves up nicely if the pairing can hit their ceilings, per Mike Sando of The Athletic.
“In a draft with not a whole lot of defensive linemen, they got two pretty good ones that should be able to set them up for the next several years,” an exec told The Athletic.
The selection of Paye is an easy one for analysts and fans to see as a positive for the Colts. His upside, character and athleticism will fit perfectly into what the Colts have going on with their defensive front.
The selection of Odeyingbo caused a bit of stir in that most analysts wanted the Colts to reach for a tackle. But seeing as he was the highest player on their board at the time, it’s easy to see why the Colts wanted to make sure they grabbed him without the benefit of having a third-round pick.
“That’s a lot of investment in that position and, really, how many of them have panned out?” an exec told The Athletic. “Dayo can be a really good player if he gets healthy. Long, big, athletic guy, could have been a first-rounder if he didn’t have the Achilles. He might be a guy that needed a year of development anyway.”
The Colts certainly feel strongly about their picks in the draft and like every NFL team, they aren’t worried about the opinions outside of the building.
But the Colts certainly have plenty of upside in these first two picks, especially if Odeyingbo can come back without having lost any of his explosiveness.
