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John Simon Color Rush Jersey , taking us on a ride down the stretch that most could not have expected. In many ways, good coaching and game planning alleviated the need to have top talent in many areas, and allowed the Colts to succeed despite some holes in the roster. With the offseason at hand, it is time for the team to begin the postmortem of this season, looking deeply at all the places they failed or performed below expectations. The front office will then set to work identifying ways to improve on their areas of need both in free agency and the draft. With the right additions, this team could be really good in the coming season.Here are the top team needs for the 2019 season: Wide ReceiverPhoto by Tim Warner/Getty ImagesThe Colts got the opportunity to see first-hand how big an impact an elite group of skill position players can make an offense in their road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. While they have a top receiving threat in T.Y. Hilton, they really have very little behind him both in terms of talent, and also in general in terms of bodies under contract. Ryan Grant and Dontrelle Inman will be unrestricted free agents this offseason, and I would expect to see Grant walk after a disappointing season. With Deon Cain set to return from an ACL tear, there is hope that he could step into a role as the number 2 wide receiver to T.Y. Hilton, but it would be foolish to assume that he can. While he looked incredible during training camp, he didn’t see real game action outside of his brief preseason play before injury, and he’ll be coming back from a significant injury which will likely hamper him to some degree. The Colts will be likely to address the receiver position both in free agency and the draft. It would also make sense for them to attempt to re-sign Dontrelle Inman, who really came on late in the season as a reliable weapon. If they manage to hit on a pickup and have Cain be as good as he looked to start the offseason last year, all the better.Defensive LinePhoto by Bob Levey/Getty ImagesWhile the Colts had a stout front seven against the run, they’ll be losing a couple key players and will need to look at replacements. Both Margus Hunt and Al Woods will be free agents this offseason, and with both men at 32 years old, it is tough to see Chris Ballard re-signing them. If there is one thing you can count on, it is that Ballard will continue to invest in the defensive and offensive lines, as he has repeatedly talked about the importance of winning in the trenches. There is always speculation about getting someone like DeMarcus Lawrence through free agency, but in a league where pass rush is at a premium, it is tough to see Dallas letting him go. Much of the rest of the free agent class of defensive linemen are on the back end of their career, meaning that Ballard will likely look to the draft to replenish talent while possibly signing another Denico Autry, a role player who is a good fit for the Colts’ scheme. Additionally, Jihad Ward, who played 6 games for the Colts before heading to IR, is a free agent and it would not be surprising to see the Colts re-sign him.We should expect both the edge rusher and interior defensive linemen to be a major draft priority for the Colts this offseason.SafetyPhoto by David Eulitt/Getty ImagesMalik Hooker, George Odum https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Chester-Rogers-Jersey , and Ahmad Thomas are the Colts’ only safeties who will be under contract to start the 2019 season at present. That means there are going to be some tough decisions ahead for them. Clayton Geathers and Matthias Farley are strong locker room leaders and are still relatively young, both are 27, but neither is a standout safety. There are some intriguing prospects on the market in free agency at the safety position, including Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, and most notably, Landon Collins. It is my opinion that if Landon Collins actually hits free agency, the Colts should do whatever they can to bring him in. Pairing Collins and Hooker in the Colts safety room would make it one of the nastiest safety tandems in the NFL. Were I Chris Ballard, I would then go ahead and re-sign Geathers and Farley to be an incredibly talented backup duo. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a player picked up in the middle rounds of the draft to fill a safety position either.CornerbackPhoto by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesAt the beginning of the 2018 season, many might have put this position at the very top of the list as the Colts’ most prominent need. While it is still definitely a position in need of significant upgrade, the breakout season for Kenny Moore and an incredible back half of the season for Pierre Desir has alleviated the pressure to upgrade immediately at corner. Additionally, Quincy Wilson came on as the season progressed, and showed that there might yet be hope for him as a starter in this defense. Having said all that, there is certainly a need to add blue chip talent to this cornerback group. Pierre Desir will be a free agent, and while they’d like to retain him, at 28, they need to be considering adding new young players who can grow and develop in this system. There isn’t really an all-star cornerback who will be a big draw in free agency, so I’d look for them to re-sign Desir and invest in a player through the draft to fill out this room in the long term. Tight EndPhoto by Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesSeeing the tight end group listed here might be a bit of a surprise. Jack Doyle will likely return healthy, and Eric Ebron had a career year. Mo-Alie Cox really came on as a blocker toward the end of the season and is still a very raw prospect as well. The position looks like a relative strength for the team. However, Jack Doyle will be entering a contract year, and will be 29 to start the season. He very well could be re-signed and play for several more years, but the Colts would be wise to be looking for his long-term replacement. Eric Ebron proved that while he is a deadly red zone weapon, he simply will never be a dominant tight end in the way that someone like Travis Kelce or Rob Gronkowski are able to be. Getting Doyle back to pair with Eric Ebron will make this group a dynamic one, but given Frank Reich’s tendency to use lots of heavy packages and multiple tight ends, it would be almost surprising not to see the team draft one. ConclusionThe good news for the Colts is that their areas of need line up really well with strengths of this year’s draft class. That is GM Chris Ballard’s preferred means of roster replenishment, and it seems as though the talent is going to be there for him to pull from. In fact, according to The Draft Network, interior defensive line Antonio Morrison Jersey , edge defender, and wide receiver are the deepest positions in this draft. That is great news for the Colts, and if they can have another draft class like the one they had in 2018, we can expect another really fun year. How does Colts second round pick Ben Banogu fit the team?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:NFL GeneralColts AnalysisNFL DraftColts Film Room: 2nd Round pick, TCU LB Ben BanoguNew,23commentsHow does Colts second round pick Ben Banogu fit the team?EDTShareTweetShareShareColts Film Room: 2nd Round pick, TCU LB Ben BanoguJerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsThe 2019 NFL Draft has finally concluded and the Colts have added 10 new players to their roster. The main emphasis was on the defensive side of the ball where Chris Ballard drafted seven new players, almost all of them being elite athletes. The team got better, younger, and faster this weekend and we will be diving into the film on just about all of them to see what they bring to the team. The first player we are going to discuss is TCU linebacker Ben Banogu. The Colts selected him with pick 49 in the second round of the NFL Draft. A bit miscast in college, Banogu’s best football should be ahead of him with the Colts. Today we are going to look at the strengths of his game at TCU and how he fits on this Colts defense.BackgroundSize:6’3”, 250 poundsMeasurables: 40 Time: 4.62 seconds / Bench Reps: 23 Reps / Vertical Jump: 40 inches / Broad Jump: 134 inches / 3-Cone: 7.02 secondsCareer Stats:112 total tackles, 34.5 tackles for a loss, 17 sacks and 5 forced fumbles in his two years at TCU.StrengthsAthleticismThe first thing that pops off film when watching Banogu is his raw athleticism. He tested as an elite athlete at the Combine— which you can see above— but that testing really shows up on film. He has an insane first step and is really twitchy and quick with his movements. He moves much faster than someone who weighs 250 pounds. This athletic ability is a big reason why the Colts see him as a versatile chess piece. He can play multiple positions just because he moves so well.This first play shows his athleticism in run defense. He is left unblocked on this play as the offense is trying to make him commit inside so they can run the option to the outside. He does initially take his read steps in, but he is able to adjust his body and chase after the quarterback. He is able to close ground quickly and make the tackle in the backfield for the loss. Straight line speed and ability to flip his hips and run are insane for a player who played defensive line in college.This ability shows up when rushing the passer as well. He may not be the most refined or technical pass rusher but his pure athleticism does overwhelm blockers. Here the right tackle tries to chop him at the line but he is way too quick with his initial jump. He beats the tackle to the spot and is able to shed the block. He then explodes past the right guard and eventually gets the sack on the play. This play was pure athleticism on full display.SAM AbilityChris Ballard mentioned in his post-Day 2 press conference that Banogu will start off playing SAM backer and come down to the line of scrimmage on passing downs. This shocked some people as he mostly played defensive end in college. On film though, the traits do show up. He is a very smart run defender who reads plays well and has the movement skills to play linebacker. He could be stronger at the point of attack but the way he reads run plays does point to this move working out. This first play is a prime example of this. He is lined up as the standing up defensive end on the outside of the formation. Once he sees the run play, he reads that it is an inside run and breaks to the inside. He has the quick diagnosis and athleticism to get to the hole and make the tackle. He also gets his hand on the ball and forces a fumble on the play. Plays like this surely make him look like a linebacker to me. This is almost the exact same play but even more impressive. He makes his initial steps to the outside in case the running back were running a sweep. Once he sees the running back cut up the middle though, he sheds his block on the end and quickly reacts to the play. He takes an excellent angle and is able to track down the running back for the tackle. I loved Matthew Adams as the SAM last year but Banogu’s potential in this role should make him the day one starter here.Pass Rush AbilityNow let’s get to the good stuff. Banogu is not a great pass rusher yet. He rarely has a plan and does struggle to fight through contact. Where he does excel though is using his athleticism and having a tireless motor. He is an absolute force on twists and stunts and uses his twitchy athleticism and bend to beat lineman. His motor is also outstanding as he rarely gives up on a play. Those two traits are an excellent starting point for a pass rusher.He sets up the lineman well and burst through the line of scrimmage with excellent explosion and speed. He is nearly unblockable on these types of plays. Here, he explodes through the line of scrimmage for the big hit on the quarterback. This quickness to get into the backfield should have Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus salivating. His motor is always running hot. Here he has a nice initial rush as he bends on the outside and gets penetration. He counters well by spinning back inside and forcing the quarterback to role out of the pocket. He finishes the play off by locating the quarterback and running him down for the sack. Great athleticism and a good initial push but his effort in pursuit is what led to the sack on the play.How He Fits the ColtsI’m sure a lot of people— including myself— were a tad confused when the Colts made this selection. Banogu— as you can see above— is a a good player with a ton of upside but he doesn’t really fit that big, versatile defensive end that the Colts have targeted in years past. He isn’t Denico Autry or Tyquan Lewis in any way. After watching his film, this is an exciting selection that should improve two aspects of the Colts’ defense; stunt pass rushing plays and base down SAM packages. Starting with stunt plays, the Colts love using them. They don’t have an elite pass rusher on this team so the main way they create pressure is by installing stunts and twists in order to get offensive linemen moving and throw off protection schemes. It worked pretty well for the team last year. Look at this play from 2018 2nd Round pick Kemoko Turay. He is a player who— like Banogu— is insanely quick and twitchy off of the line. He is able to get the quick pressure on this play and force the underneath throw that allows the linebacker to clean up. Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus loves dialing up these stunts for this exact reason. Now pair Eberflus’ love for twists and stunts and give him a player like Banogu who excels at them and you have a fun pairing. Look at this side by side comparison on stunt plays and tell me that you aren’t excited for the type of designs and pass rushes that can be drawn up.That ability and the Colts’ recent history of using players in ways that maximize their abilities for success, should make this a fun addition to the defense. If the Colts truly see him as a jack-of-all-trades defender, I’m excited to see how they plan on using him.ConclusionI really like this selection for the Colts. He is not a perfect prospect as he needs to play stronger and develop a plan when rushing but the possibilities are endless with him in this defense. Matt Eberflus ran one of the more diverse and different defenses in football this past season and that was one of the main reasons why a cover two defense in today’s NFL was able to find success. Adding a player who can rotate between linebacker and defensive end not only allows more flexibility for the defense but also throws off and confuses offenses. The more versatile and fast your defense is, the more the offense needs to think and plan for you. I really like the plan the Colts had coming into this draft and what they got out of it. Long gone are the days of 5.00 second 40 time linebackers starting for the Colts. The emphasis now is on speed, versatility, and competition. Ben Banogu fits all three of those aspects perfectly and should be a valuable piece on this defense for years to come.