Dayo Odeyingbo Starting to Flash in Year Two: Film Room
The Indianapolis Colts are coming off of a disastrous two game stretch, as they followed up a 54-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys by blowing a 33-0 halftime lead to the Minnesota Vikings.
While it is hard to spin this into anything positive about the team, I'm going to attempt to do just that. No, I'm not here to talk about the team in general, but there has been a certain pass rusher emerging in recent weeks. That player is none other than Dayo Odeyingbo.
Odeyingbo has had a bit of a rocky start to his NFL career, as he made his debut halfway through his rookie season in 2021. He was still on the mend from an achilles injury that he suffered prior to the NFL Combine, and it hindered his play early in his career.
Entering year two, the expectation was that Odeyingbo would take that next step and finally begin to emerge as a pass rusher. Through the first 19 games of his career though, Odeyingbo managed just three sacks, two QB hits, and 12 QB hurries. While this has been a bit of a disappointment, the young pass rusher has finally begun to find his groove in recent games.
In the past five games, Odeyingbo has totaled two sacks, three QB hits, and 9 QB hurries. He is starting to find his way as a pass rusher, and his development has been fun to watch.
Stunt Game Success
Gus Bradley is not the type of Defensive Coordinator that likes to blitz, but that doesn't mean that he can't draw up pressure while rushing just four. One way that he likes to do this is by utilizing stunts and twists on the interior.
This has helped Dayo Odeyingbo get even more pass rushing opportunities, as his combination of size and speed is rare on the inside. This QB hit against the Las Vegas Raiders is a great example.
Odeyingbo twists with DeForest Buckner on the inside, and he is able to break free on the confusion. He closes ground in a hurry and nearly brings down Derek Carr for the sack.
A New Signature Move?
One of the more raw aspects of Odeyingbo's game is his lack of a go-to move as a pass rusher. Right now, he is just a big ball of speed and power without the consistent refinement to continually win in one way. That being said, I did see a rush against the Pittsburgh Steelers that I would like to see more of with him.
That move, of course, is the long arm. Colts' fans are no stranger to this move, as Robert Mathis long armed his way into a Hall of Fame career with the team. Dayo Odeyingbo is such a rare blend of traits and length that he can really take this move and be elite with it.
This rush against the Steelers was a thing of beauty. He drives the right tackle back into the pocket with ease, and then disengages with a nice spin back inside. This is a textbook rush using a move that I want to see more of with him.
Competing with Zack Martin!?!?
The Colts matched up with the Dallas Cowboys three weeks ago. While the game ended in a massive loss for the team, Dayo Odeyingbo made some plays against one of the best guards in the history of the NFL.
Cowboys' guard Zack Martin may be in the later stages of his career, but he is (without a doubt) one of the best to ever play the position. Even he struggled with the power and the speed that Odeyingbo brings on the inside.
Martin still won the match-up, but Odeyingbo made an elite player work extra hard for his wins in this game. It was an absolute joy to watch this battle.
Breakout Game vs Vikings
While the Colts were busy blowing the biggest lead in the history of the sport, Dayo Odeyingbo was out having the best game of his career. He finished the day with two sacks and two hurries, and he looked every bit like a legit pass rusher in this game.
He won with athleticism, power, and effort in this game. He may not fully be where he needs to be (yet) but this game was such a positive showing for a young player. He has the ability and the motor to be a really good pass rusher, he just needs to continue to stack games like this and build upon his elite traits.
Dayo Odeyingbo is far from a finished product, but he is taking the first major steps forward in his young career. We have to hope that this play carries forward over the next few weeks.
Need your fill on daily Colts' content? Head over to the Locked On Colts' YouTube channel where Jake Arthur and myself hit on all the major topics surrounding this team. Hit that subscribe button while you are there!
Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.
