INDIANAPOLIS – Chris Ballard and his scouting staff do the exhaustive legwork in the months leading into the draft.
They find every scrap of video and wear it out. They talk to anyone and everyone associated with a player, especially when it involves one being considered with a top pick. They watch players in practice, in games. They visit with them, whether that’s on campus, at the NFL Scouting Combine, at Pro Days, private workouts or during Top-30 visits.
At some point, the head coach/coordinators/position coaches are asked for input.
How would this guy fit?
Ballard mentioned Steichen walking into the war room prior to last week’s draft.
“He starts looking at the board and can tell, ‘This is how we’ll use this guy. This is how he fits,’’ he said.
In post-draft hindsight, it might have been defensive coordinator Gus Bradley who offered the pertinent insight.
For the first time in draft history, offensive players were taken with the first 14 overall selections. That left the Colts, clutching No. 15 and unable to move up for a top-tier offensive playmaker, with their choice of the draft’s best defensive player.
Had Bradley been beating the drum for UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Laia, either in the days leading up to round 1 or as the clock wound down to No. 15?
“How much do I beat the drum and how much was I heard?’’ he said with a laugh Wednesday afternoon.
The lobbying, Bradley noted, was similar to what was being done by offensive coaches. Ballard, assistant general manager Ed Dodds want to know how Player X fits.
“‘If we draft this guy, how do you see him being utilized? What’s the plan for him? How do you see him fitting in?’’’ Bradley explained. “Those conversations are always had.
“Chris and the whole staff does a good job of making sure that our feelings are heard.’’
Area scout Chris McGaha, who did extensive background work on Latu, marveled as Latu’s ability to pile up 23.5 sacks and 34 tackles for loss in two seasons at UCLA after being away from football for two years while he dealt with neck surgery.
“I just think the guy was born to rush the passer,’’ he said.
Steichen’s expertise is on offense, but that often requires gauging a threat that might loom.
“Like, ‘Hey, is this guy going to be a problem to deal with?’’’ he said. When I watched (Latu’s) tape, I said, ‘I think he is going to be a problem.’’’
Bradley’s assessment was the same. His critical eye has been sharpened by four years as a head coach and 11 as a coordinator, including the past two with the Colts.
“He is very polished,’’ he said. “He’s got an arsenal of moves. He’s not a one-trick pony. You can see he’s got speed-to-power. You see the speed.
“He’s intriguing . . . plays with high effort . . . one thing that jumps out is the athleticism.’’
Latu is 6-5 and 265 pounds. He should be an ideal outside complement to Kwity Paye and/or Samson Ebukam. He joins a Colts’ defense that set an Indy-era record in 2023 with 51 sacks.
Two aspects of Latu’s pre-draft dossier might have tipped the balance in his favor over a few of the other top-tier pass-rush prospects: His maturity and readiness for the NFL. They grabbed everyone’s attention.
“You feel his maturity has a quicker chance of getting there than, ‘Hey, this guy’s going to develop’," Bradley said.
The Houston Texans took Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. with the No. 3 overall pick last year. He made an immediate impact with 7 sacks, 22 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss and Defensive Rookie of the Year accolades.
In 2022, Jacksonville opted for Georgia’s Travon Walker at No. 1 overall while Detroit followed with Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2. Walker had 3.5 sacks as a rookie before emerging with 10 in year 2. Hutchinson has been a beast from the get-go: 9.5 sacks as a rookie, 11.5 last season.
And then there’s Kwity Paye.
The Colts used the No. 21 overall pick in 2021 on Paye, and his arc has been undeniably rising: 4 sacks as a rookie, 6 in ’22, 8.5 last season.
“When you look at the history of rushers, sometimes it’s tough,’’ said Bradley. “They come up and you go, ‘Oh, this guy was great in college.’ Then he has 4 sacks or 5 sacks and there’s a transition time.
“You look at players and say, ‘Alright, what can speed that process up? What gives him a chance?’ It’s always a race to maturity, especially with rushers. How fast can they get there to where, ‘Oh, it finally kicked in their fourth year, their fifth year’? You’re starting to see them get a good feel for things.
“Sometimes those things that take some time to translate, it feels like he’s got a head start on.’’
Bradley bases that on long video sessions and meeting with Latu. He also talked with D’Anton Lynn, who was UCLA’s defensive coordinator in 2023 and a defensive assistant with the Chargers when Bradley was coordinator.
Bradley sought Lynn’s advice on how Latu would fit into his scheme in Indy.
“‘You coached him. You know how we play,’’’ Bradley said. “You try to get as much information as you can.’’
Latu’s “arsenal of moves’’ should translate well into the NFL.
“Usually a guy has one or two,’’ Bradley said. “Really in the NFL, there’s not many guys that, ‘Hey, I’ve got eight of ‘em.’ I don’t know if that’s realistic. There are guys that have their man one, counter moves, things like that.
“We anticipate it should translate over, but there’s still a time period where tackles are a little bit better and protection schemes. There’s going to be tough days. There’s going to be challenges at times. It’s such a mindset.
“You go against a tackle your first rush and you get stymied. It’s like, ‘Oh, this is a little different.’ I think he has more of the mentality of he just keeps coming.’’
About Paye
It’s clear Bradley is a Kwity Paye supporter.
We’ll soon find out if the team reinforces that by picking up the fifth-year option on Paye’s rookie contract. It’s worth a guaranteed $13.4 million and must be done by Thursday. If the fifth year isn’t picked up, Paye becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
“You talk about trust, right? There’s a man that you trust,’’ Bradley said. “On the edge, does things right, comes to work every day. You know what you’re going to get. Highly respected by all of his teammates.
“I believe and I think all of our coaches and even this organization (believe) there is another level for him. Like we said with rushers, sometimes it can take some time. We think he’s in a good space right now.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.