Most essential Colts No. 4: DeForest Buckner could carry the pass rush again
In a salary-cap league like the NFL, finding building blocks is essential. As teams churn and burn the roster through the draft and bargain signings in free agency, it helps to find the players who are either a cut above the rest or can perform a task few others can. They relieve the pressure on everyone.
Over the next two weeks, we'll be ranking the 10 most essential players to the Colts' success in 2023. It's a subjective process, weighing factors such as ability, positional value within a scheme, age, leadership and durability.
To make it simpler, we're asking the following two questions about these players:
1. How difficult would he be to replace for more than a month?
2. What does the Colts' 2023 ceiling become if this player hits his?
The elephant in the room for 2023, of course, is the presence of a rookie quarterback. The growth of Anthony Richardson will matter more than the win-loss record, so this year's list will focus more on future value than it has in other years.
Today, we continue with No. 4, DeForest Buckner.
Here's the list so far:
8. Bernhard Raimann, left tackle
6. Shaquille Leonard, linebacker
4. DeForest Buckner, defensive tackle
Position: Defensive tackle
Age: 29
Experience: 8th NFL season, 4th with Colts
Accolades: Two-time Pro Bowler, 2020 first-team All-Pro, 53 sacks, nine fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles in 109 starts in 112 games
2022 stats: Played all 17 games and totaled eight sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery
Last year's rank: No. 4
Why he's here: After last season caved in on itself, DeForest Buckner had the chance to follow Stephon Gilmore and request a trade to a more ready-to-contend team. But he chose to stick around.
He's adamant that he doesn't want to rebuild, which means he's going to need to earn this spot on the list while hoping the Colts don't rely on him too much, like they have at times the past two seasons.
Buckner has been Indianapolis' most balanced, dominant player since his arrival via trade in the 2020 offseason. As a three-technique facing constant double teams, and often with lacking support on the edges, he's totaled at least seven sacks every season. He's played through nagging injuries to play 49 of a possible 50 games. And he's emerged as one of the most stable veteran voices they have, which was tested immensely during last year's 4-12-1 disaster.
Buckner is, as they say, built different. At 6-foot-7, he has the length to reach linemen in the run game before they can reach him. At 295 pounds, he's slender enough to bounce outside, where he can enjoy 1-on-1 matchups and win by converting power to speed. His body is conditioned to do it despite facing as many double teams as anyone but Aaron Donald at the position.
He lives one of the most grueling NFL lifestyles and always has a smile on his face. He's a three-technique in name only, as his impact is like that of a top-flight pass rusher.
Last year saw Buckner slide back into the "attack" approach he enjoyed during his 49ers run, which nearly won him a Super Bowl. He finished with 52 pressures, ranked third among defensive tackles, according to Sports Info Solutions. He saw better support with Yannick Ngakoue and a Grover Stewart breakdown until edge injuries piled up in the final month. The offensive support never came at all.
This season, his offense will be led by a 21-year-old quarterback, though one with big-play upside. His secondary without Gilmore is among the youngest in the game. The Colts added Samson Ebukam to the edge group in the offseason, but they're largely banking on more growth from young players like Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo.
As a 29-year-old All-Pro still very much worth the four-year, $84 million extension he signed upon his arrival, Buckner is an anomaly on a Colts team trending younger and retooling the roster in hopes of future growth. If he were to miss time, it's hard to see how Indianapolis can compete on defense. Now, the hope is that the Colts can get this new window started quickly enough to capitalize on a star player who still manages to go underappreciated at times.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Why DeForest Buckner is No. 4 among most essential players
