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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/hallach_halil on 2025-07-10 13:41:52+00:00.
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We’re back for the second half of yet another two-part series, only this time in written form, as we switch sides of the ball and talk about some of my favorite second- and third-year defenders, who I expect to take the next step. Just like we did in the offensive edition last week, we’ll discuss seven players today.
Once again, to identify what would qualify a “breakout” or rather players excluded in this discussion, I’m largely relying on statistical measurements that they haven’t reached yet – no front-seven defenders who recorded double-digit sacks or tackles for loss, players who intercepted 4+ passes, earned a Pro Bowl/All-Pro nominations or are just generally considered one of the better performers at their respective positions. I also generally stay away from players who have barely seen action in the pros yet. That makes names like Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson and Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo, for example.
Daiyan Henley emerged as one of the best linebackers in all of football after making the list a year ago, but I’m still waiting on names like B.J. Ojulari and JuJu Brents to stay healthy and show if they can justify me putting them up there in the most recent version of this. Let’s get into these next few names for 2025:
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Edge defender – Laiatu Latu, Colts
Thinking back to late April last year, it was a pretty unique draft, as we saw six quarterbacks selected in the top 12, to blow the previous NFL record out of the water, but maybe even more interesting might be that we didn’t have a defensive player’s name announced until pick 15. Colts general manager Chris Ballard proclaimed at the time that they “stole the best rusher in the draft”. That’s how I had the guys at his position ranked as well, considering Latu came off a season in which he was named a first-team All-American and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, leading the FBS in what Pro Football Focus refers to as “pass-rush productivity” (13.3), after finishing behind only the third overall pick in the previous draft, Will Anderson Jr. I did say at point that there was a case to be made for either him, Alabama’s Dallas Turner or Florida State’s Jared Verse to sit atop your big board depending on what you ask of those guys. The latter obviously looks like the biggest hit, as he ended up winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and made his presence felt in the playoffs for the Rams. Meanwhile, Latu’s path to playing time wasn’t as clear, and he only started one of 17 games. Still, he found ways to make an impact, logging 54% of defensive snaps in this three-man rotation on the edge for Indy. He posted 32 combined tackles, with five of those for loss, four sacks, three fumbles forced and one recovered. Yet, if you go through the advanced metrics and the film, there’s reason to feel confident in him being more productive in his sophomore campaign.
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I believe anyone who evaluated Latu at UCLA might’ve had some reservations about his run defense, considering how different the pro game would be in what he was asked to do. That front was so much about creating chaos, slanting bodies and disrupting plays. So seeing Latu lock out with his inside arm, align his base and anchor near the point of attack in a technically sound way was a great sign pretty much right away, for him being able to handle that transition. You still saw him arm-over drive- and down-blocks when opponents would lunge or duck their head into contact with him. Yet, he also had a few snaps as a rookie where he just drove a tight-end a couple of yards backwards and more than completely erased the C-gap. And there were also those plays where opponents put two tight-ends to his side of the formation and he had to occupy them double-teaming him. I was very impressed on a handful of occasions with Latu’s pursuit on wide plays, fighting over the top of pin-downs and running down the ball-carrier at the far sideline, such as on crack-tosses. I also saw him make multiple tackles on wide receiver screens after shooting up the field initially. And the same is true for his change of direction, where initially he flattens for the dive as the unblocked defender, yet redirects for the quarterback pulling the ball and is able to corral that guy. His biggest issue was being able to actually get ball-carriers onto the ground. While the sample size is rather limited, he finished his rookie year with a 25.7% missed tackle rate, which included a couple of quarterbacks slipping out of his grasp on would-be sacks. For Latu, there’s very little time wasted transitioning from run-defense to changing his target to the quarterback keeping the ball on bootlegs or other forms of play-action. The same is true when offenses try to run naked his direction, but Latu stays home for them and at the very least forces the ball to be floated over his outstretched arms.
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Everything for Latu as a pass-rusher starts with winning the outside shoulder. He beautifully deploys scissors swipe moves, and while I wouldn’t say he has *elite* bend, the way he pairs it with his lower body and can squiggle his hips around as he approaches the apex of his rush, allows him to get to the quarterback. Yet, even if tackles are able to land into his frame, he just continues to battle the outside hand and ultimately clear the reach in order to turn the corner. And what I love about his secondary hand-combats is that he doesn’t just throw his arms around wildly but rather actually turns his shoulders and reduces his surface area in order to create favorable angles for himself. Latu is so natural with altering his speed cadence and tempo as a rusher, depending on his track – such as if he’s lined up outside of a tight-end (on a delayed release) – and the technique of tackles. What I saw more from him than I might’ve anticipated based on his college tape is him converting speed-to-power. I don’t view him as someone who can really cave in one side that way, but at least he forces quarterbacks to move off the spot a lot of times and doesn’t just blindly run himself past that point, if tackles sell out for the outside rush. Now, he does pack a pretty sweet spin move to actually win those battles, where he uses that ice-pick arm-bar to not let his opponent to catch back up and guide him off track. If they can square him up and establish first meaningful contact into his frame, that’s when he Latu can be disrupted in his approach and neutralized, as a result. Even to some degree early in the season and especially later on, I thought opponents made it a priority to give tackles chip-help or ask the back to help out with Latu on key dropbacks. He also had a couple of good moments of recognizing draw plays, and although it may not be by the book, he’d slide inside and help get the initial wrap on the runner.
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If there’s one thing Chris Ballard has prioritized during his tenure as the GM in Indy, it’s continuing to add pass-rush help. They picked up Kwity Paye’s fifth-year option last May and a couple of months later, a headline from Colts.com said “coming off his best offseason yet, Kwity Paye is ready to give the Colts his all in 2024”. Yet, his snap share was right in line with career average of 65% when playing, with two games missed. He did reach the highest pressure total (37) since his rookie season (39), but he didn’t elevate his game generally, and his PFF run defense grade (67.4) was actually the lowest since his first year as a pro as well. They drafted J.T. Tuimoloau in the middle of the second round, but Dayo Odeyingbo moved on to Chicago off a career year, after actually leading this defense in both pass-rush snaps (439) and pressures (42). New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo didn’t rotate his defensive linemen through nearly as much in Cincinnati as this previous Colts regime was accustomed to. And I struggle to see how Latu isn’t one of their two primary defensive ends, especially with how quickly he’s acclimated to the NFL level as a run defender. If anything, I see Paye either subbing in for this year’s rookie or J.T. potentially sliding inside some on obvious passing downs. Based on the underlying numbers and how close I thought he was on actually finishing at the quarterback, I expect the production to ascend for the man heading into his second season.
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Edge defender – Nolan Smith, Eagles
Due to how much Smith heated up later in the season and during the Eagles’ run at the Super Bowl, you might expect he’s not eligible in this discussion anymore, but he didn’t quite reach those statistical marks I outlined in the intro and I don’t believe casual fans necessarily are aware of the force he’s started to become. This was the number one recruit in the nation for Georgi…
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