INDIANAPOLIS – As the April NFL Draft neared, the internal conversation crystallized.
Let’s find a disruptive pass rusher. A closer.
The offense was top-10 in scoring the previous season and possessed the requisite returning skill players to put sufficient points on the board. The blueprint: get a lead, fuel the crescendoing noise in the indoor stadium and turn the pass rush – and the first-round pick – loose in the fourth quarter.
The defense possessed a slew of proven veteran defensive linemen, so the rookie could be eased in. Initially, he’d be a third-down presence.
With the 11th overall pick in the 2002 draft, general manager Bill Polian, first-yead head coach Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts opted for Dwight Freeney.
They considered adding a dominant defensive tackle – Albert Haynesworth’s name came up – but the opportunity to add a unique pass rusher who generated 34 sacks and 51 tackles for loss at Syracuse was too striking to ignore.
“We knew Dwight was going to be a dynamic pass rusher,’’ Dungy said. “We knew he was going to be a star player.
“The plan originally was play him in pass situations. We knew he could be a factor, but we wanted to let him have success early and grow into it.’’
The next time the Colts selected a pass rusher with a top-15 pick? April 25, 2024.
And the similarities are striking.
General manager Chris Ballard held the No. 15 overall pick, and there were options. There were “serious discussions’’ to acquire the No. 6 pick from the New York Giants and grab a big-play wideout for quarterback Anthony Richardson.
“We made a push,’’ Ballard said at the time. “Nobody was moving.’’
So, he stayed put and watched as for the first time in NFL history, the first 14 selections were for offensive players.
The Colts had their pick of the defensive talent.
Ballard and coach Shane Steichen went with the pass rusher. The potential closer.
Welcome to Indy, Laiatu Latu. In his two seasons at UCLA, he was Freeney-like with 23.5 sacks and 34 tackles for loss.
“He’s a natural rusher,’’ Ballard said. “He’s kind of got it all.
“I think our defensive front is the best since we’ve been here. It’s excellent.’’
Following the Freeney approach
Freeney’s NFL transition was facilitated by the presence of Chad Bratkze, Brad Scioli and Raheem Brock. It wasn’t necessary to immediately throw the much-hyped rookie into the maelstrom.
“I remember it being, ‘When he’s ready, he’s going to play,’’ Freeney said. “I was going to be a third-down-type of guy. Chad Bratkze was the (9-year) vet. I wasn’t going to take his position.
“I think they were trying to groom me into that role. But in passing situations, put me into the game. Let me play.’’
The composition of the d-line room Latu walked into affords a similar approach. Even with sack leader Samson Ebukam expecting to miss most, if not all, of the season with a torn Achilles, the Colts feature ends Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis and Dayo Odeyingbo – that trio combined for 20.5 sacks in 2023 – and top-tier tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.
“I’m OK with whatever position I take on this team as long as it’s contributing to a winning atmosphere,’’ Latu said. “Shoot, I feel like I’ve been playing a lot out there.
“I feel like I’m going to be in the rotation with these guys.’’
That’s been the plan from the outset.
In monitoring Latu’s rookie progress, it would be wise not to become preoccupied with how often he starts. His initial NFL impact probably will be a matter of quality over quantity.
Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley studied every aspect of Latu’s game at the collegiate level. He noticed the speed, the power, the variety of moves, the relentlessness, the playmaking, the maturity.
Everything Bradley witnessed during offseason work, training camp and preseason games only reinforced his trust in Latu’s readiness.
“I think going into it, just his personality, his temperament, how he goes about the business,’’ he said Tuesday. “It feels like, ‘Let him go play and let’s see what he can do.’ We have great confidence in him. He is a student of the game. It almost appears that he’s over-analytical at times, but he’s not. That’s just how he is.
“We know there’s going to be a learning curve. We know there’s going to be plays that we’re going to come in and say, ‘There’s some good plays and there are some plays that he wish he had back.’ We understand that.
“But just his overall mentality and skillset, we’re very excited to see, especially this first game, where he’s at.’’
Ballard’s Latu-related optimism was immediate and evident.
“I think he’s going to produce pretty quickly as a rusher,’’ he said after selecting Latu. “I think he knows how to rush.
“Now of course, there’s going to be an adjustment period as there is with any rookie rusher.’’
Ballard watched Latu adjust to the NFL during the offseason and training camp, and saw nothing to lessen his expectations.
How do you anticipate Latu’s role playing out? Is it just on third downs?
“He’ll play. He’ll play,’’ Ballard said last week. “Yeah, he’s going to play a lot. We like Latu. I think he’s got a chance to do some pretty special things, man.
“He’s got pretty freaky instincts. Watch his eyes. His eyes never come off the quarterback. Ever. It’s pretty impressive to watch.’’
During preseason games and much of training camp, Bradley went with Paye and Lewis as his starting ends in the base after Ebukam’s injury. Latu primarily bounced onto the field in third-down situations, although he also handled early-down snaps.
Again, the equivalence with Freeney is undeniable. At least as a rookie, of course.
In August, Freeney was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The first steps toward Canton, Ohio came haltingly.
“I was coming into a new place, a new setting and I understood the hierarchy of things,’’ Freeney said. “Chad was the vet. I was a rookie. What do I know? I did whatever the coaches wanted me to do.
“Don’t ask questions or complain about it. Just go out there and give the coaches what they want.’’
Through his first eight games, Freeney did precisely that. A little here, a little there. Coming off the bench, he contributed 4 sacks and 11 tackles, including six for a loss.
Bratkze started every game on the right side. Scioli and Brock shared the left-side starts.
Until week 9.
“Yeah, the Eagles,’’ Freeney said with a knowing grin. “I remember that one.’’
In his first career start at Philadelphia, he collected six tackles and got to Donovan McNabb for a sack. He was disruption personified with three forced fumbles. The sack included the first of Freeney’s 47 career forced fumbles, which are tied for 3rd-most in NFL history. On another forced fumble, he chased down McNabb and slapped the football free after a 14-yard gain.
“I was running around like my hair was on fire,’’ Freeney said. “It was a great game.’’
At the time, everyone recognized Freeney’s status as a first-round talent, but no one really know much about him. Other than, of course, he was the undersized (6-1, 268 pounds) pass rusher in Dungy’s defense.
“Those were the years when no one knew who I was and they weren’t going to chip me and I was super, super fast back then,’’ Freeney said.
He lined up opposite Tra Thomas. The Eagles’ left tackle was coming off the first of three Pro Bowl seasons.
Thomas might well have been a stationary blocking dummy.
“Whoever it was, man, he was in for it that game,’’ Freeney said. “I was flying off the ball.’’
That proved to be the genesis of Freeney’s Hall of Fame career.
As a starter over the final eight games, he had 9 sacks, nine forced fumbles and 14 tackles for loss.
His rookie stat line: a franchise-record 13 sacks, nine forced fumbles and 20 tackles for loss. The latter two led the league.
Dungy: Latu ‘perfect fit’ for Colts
Dungy remains steadfast in his belief the Colts properly handled Freeney’s rookie season.
“I think it was a good strategy,’’ he said.
The only regret? Had the coaching staff inserted Freeney into the starting lineup sooner, he might have earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. That went to Julius Peppers, the No. 2 overall pick who finished with lesser stats (12 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles).
It’s worth noting Peppers and Freeney shared the stage in Canton as members of the Class of 2024.
Dungy remains attached to the Colts – he’s the franchise’s all-time winningest coach (92-33) and there’s that Lombardi Trophy from 2006 – and has had occasion to peruse Latu’s video from UCLA.
As was the case with Freeney and Indy more than two decades ago, he described the Latu-Colts union as “a perfect fit.’’
“Laiatu has that same thing Dwight had,’’ Dungy said. “You’re playing on turf. You’re playing in noise and the pass rush becomes that much more effective.
“I thought it was a really, really good pick and I think he’s going to develop into exactly what the Colts need.’’
Latu: the standard has been set
Latu was forced to turn to Plan B when it came time to pull on a Colts’ jersey. The 15 he wore at UCLA had already been handed out to veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
“I’m a little hesitant to walk up to Joe Flacco,’’ Latu said after the draft. “I’m respectful towards him.’’
The equipment staff issued him 97 and schooled the rookie on the legacy of defensive players wearing a jersey in the 90s.
“I learned when I got here the whole history behind the 90s numbers,’’ Latu said.
At the head of the list are Freeney and franchise sack leader Robert Mathis.
Latu has never met Freeney but understands the standard that has been established.
“I do want to get that Gold Jacket, the Super Bowl, friggin’ world champs,’’ he said. “And having those guys there that’s put in the work. Put in tape and you see how explosive they are and dominant they are on the field.
“I want to be able to emulate that.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.