Indianapolis Colts: Five Youngsters That Will Make the Leap in 2022

4. Kwity Paye, EDGE (Age: 23)

Kwity Paye is the only first-round pick that the Colts have used in the last four drafts. That fact alone should tell you how strong of a prospect Paye was entering the 2021 NFL Draft. Rather than moving down to collect assets, Chris Ballard stood firm and took a pass rusher with the hopes that Paye blossoms into one of the better defensive ends in the league. Paye dealt with a couple untimely injuries after being drafted. In August, Paye suffered a bad ankle sprain that hampered him for the remainder of the off-season. He returned for the start of the season, and after logging 82 snaps in his first two games, Paye injured his hamstring early in a week three loss to the Titans. He did not let this ruin his rookie campaign.

Upon returning, Paye appeared in the final 12 games of the season, serving as the teams most impactful rusher off of the edge. He only recorded four total sacks, but that number can be misleading. Paye may have only finished four sacks, but he was constantly in the backfield disrupting quarterbacks. He recorded 39 pressures, nearly three a game. Fellow 2021 rookie pass rusher, Dayo Odeyingbo, could have also had his own section in this article, but Paye projects to be the guy with the most potential of the two. Hopefully, he will be able to remain healthy and now that Yannick Ngakoue will be inserted on the opposite side, Paye should benefit from less attention his way. If both Ngakoue and Paye can approach double-digit sacks in 2022, the Colts will be one of the best defenses in the league.

5. Isaiah Rodgers Sr., CB (Age: 24)

The final player in this exercise is former sixth-round pick, Isaiah Rodgers Sr. Rodgers played defensive back and was the primary return man during his time at UMass. He played mostly at cornerback, shadowing the best receivers on the field and recording 11 interceptions over the course of his career, even returning three of those for touchdowns. As a kickoff and punt returner, Rodgers was able to showcase his otherworldly speed. Seeing Rodgers out in open space even had some draft evaluators speculating that he could be a gadget player on an NFL offense. As we know, this did not happen. Instead, Rodgers carved out a path to stay on the defensive side of the ball.

Leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, Rodgers held his own Pro-Day. With NFL scouts in attendance, Rodgers would display an ability to stick with receivers in coverage, while also doubling down by showing how his speed translates as a deep safety. When he lined up to run the 40-yard dash, he caught the eye of everyone there. His 4.28 40-yard dash would rank among the best of all time if he did it at the Combine. Still, his level of competition in college came into question. Due to this, Rodgers plummeted down the board. The Colts wisely scooped him up in the sixth round, and boy has that paid off for the franchise. Rodgers pretty much only returned kicks as a rookie, highlighted by his 101-yard touchdown versus the Browns. But in 2021, he started to see more playing time at cornerback.

Mostly due to injury, Rodgers found his way into the lineup and he made the most of it. When Rodgers was on the field, he intercepted a team-leading three passes and defended seven other passes. Taking a look at the depth chart currently, Rodgers is slated to be a starter opposite Stephon Gilmore. The Colts are betting big on Rodgers to take a leap in development in 2022. Whether or not that happens could determine how far Indianapolis goes.