Obvious offseason need already evident for Indianapolis Colts

It is still very early in the offseason, but it seems clear where an area of emphasis will be for the Indianapolis Colts in the coming months -- addressing the defensive line.

For one, GM Chris Ballard said during his season-ending press conference that "more fuel" was needed up front. He also mentioned that, overall defensively, the Colts need to get younger and faster.

Specifically from the defensive end position, the Colts did not have a consistent enough pass rush. On the season, Indianapolis' defensive line ranked 30th in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric.

Without steady pressure on the quarterback, the job of every other defender on the field, especailly in the secondary, becomes much more difficult with those players now needing to hold up in coverage much longer.

Beyond needing more juice and production from this group, there is likely some roster turnover taking place as well.

Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Tyquan Lewis are all set to be free agents. So is Neville Gallimore at defensive tackle. That position group, led by DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, is getting older as well.

We've seen Ballard invest in the defensive end position over the years. Within the last handful of drafts, he's taken Paye and Laiatu Latu in the first round, along with JT Tuimoloau in the second round.

Whether it's in the draft or in free agency, some premium assets could again be devoted to this position group as Ballard searches for more output.

After all, the name of the game is affecting the quarterback.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: One position group that Colts must address during 2026 offseason