INDIANAPOLIS – Friday night came and went and the Colts tended to the two biggest needs on their roster.
In Round Three of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Colts selected edge rusher Tarell Basham at No. 80 overall.**
Getting To Know Tarell Basham-Why Basham?**
A young pass rusher was an absolute must for the Colts in this draft. Basham had 29.5 sacks and 42.5 tackles for loss in his four seasons at Ohio University. At 6-4 and 249 pounds, Basham will likely move to outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense for the Colts. He was a 4-3 defensive end at Ohio. The Colts have tried unsuccessfully to groom the franchise's next top pass rusher. Basham, the 2016 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, is the next try at that.-Basham's Role In 2017
Chris Ballard has totally revamped the outside linebacker in 2017. Robert Mathis, Erik Walden and Trent Cole are gone. Jabaal Sheard, John Simon and Barkevious Mingo were signed during free agency. Expect Sheard and Simon to start, with Basham getting a chance for reps alongside those guys. Akeem Ayers is the top returner likely to see some action. If Basham can show any sort of pass rushing presence during Training Camp and the preseason, he's going to find his way onto the field as a rookie. -Defense, Defense, Defense
Three picks into the 2017 NFL Draft, the Colts have continued the theme of the offseason---a reconstruction of the defensive side of the ball. With a safety, cornerback and outside linebacker so far in the draft, the Colts have begun to establish potential building blocks at key defensive positions. With Friday's picks of a cornerback (Quincy Wilson) and outside linebacker (Tarell Basham), the Colts have addressed the two most important needs on the roster. Combine free agency and the draft, 11 of the 15 new Colts reside on the defensive side of the ball.
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