GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Indianapolis Colts added star power to their offense on Thursday night by selecting Tyler Warren in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Day 2 started with a defensive mindset.
The Colts used their their second-round pick (45th overall) on Ohio State edge JT Tuimoloau. Another JT–running back Jonathan Taylor–announced the selection in Green Bay.
At 6’4″ and 265 pounds, Tuimoloau started all 16 games for the national champion Buckeyes, finishing with 61 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles. His 21.5 tackles for loss ranked third in FBS play. He was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection.
The Colts added an edge rusher last draft in UCLA’s Laiatu Latu. However, with the departure of Dayo Odeyingbo and some uncertainty surrounding Samson Ebukam’s return from an Achilles injury, the Colts used their second-round pick to add a strong pass rusher.
Tuimoloau is a powerful rusher with good size, length and toughness. The knock on him is lateral quickness, with Tuimoloau relying on his pure power to shed blocks. Still, the numbers speak for themselves and he was an important piece for Ohio State’s defense.
His versatility and toughness tend to be the kind of traits general manager Ballard looks for along the defensive line. He’s a sturdy, disruptive defender who can slide inside and shows good durability, having started 35 consecutive games at OSU from 2022 through 2024.
From his NFL.com draft profile:
Rugged edge defender with the size, length and toughness to play up or down in hybrid fronts. Tuimoloau plays to his size. His game revolves around power and force. He uses well-timed strikes and good length to stay separated and shed the block cleanly. He plays hard but has average pursuit quickness outside the box and trouble holding his ground against drive blockers in-line. Tuimoloau’s power rush helped him tear through the expanded College Football Playoff, with 6.5 sacks over four games, but his rush plan and hand work need refinement to maintain the momentum he built as a rusher during the 2024 season. He’s unlikely to become a star but his traits and demeanor fit the profile of a good NFL starter.
The Colts still have another Day 2 selection to make. Positions of need include linebacker and offensive line (especially right guard). The team could also use another running back and Ballard seldom hesitates to add a defensive lineman or defensive back.
As things currently stand, the Colts have the following picks remaining:
- Round 3: Pick 16 (80 Overall)
- Round 4: Pick 15 (117 Overall)
- Round 5: Pick 14 (151 Overall)
- Round 6: Pick 13 (189 Overall)
- Round 7: Pick 16 (232 Overall)