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30 Days of Colts Fits: DE Jah Joyner, Minnesota

30 days and 30 players the Indianapolis Colts may draft. Next up is Minnesota defensive end Jah Joyner.

Zach Hicks

Oct 29, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive lineman Jah Joyner (17) in action against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Oct 29, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive lineman Jah Joyner (17) in action against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
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The 2025 NFL Draft is officially under a month away. To help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Indianapolis Colts could target this month.

The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.

The next player up on this countdown to draft day is Minnesota defensive end Jah Joyner.

Background

Joyne
Jan 30, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team defensive lineman Jah Joyner of Minnesota (17) works through drills during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Joyner is a former four-star recruit who chose to attend Minnesota out of high school. He saw action in just four games over the course of his first two seasons, totaling a single sack over that span. He emerged as a key rotation piece in 2022, recording 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. His role expanded the following season, tallying a team-high 7.5 sacks and forcing two fumbles. He earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten for his play.

Joyner closed out his college career with yet another strong season, starting all 12 games for the Golden Gophers. He made a career-high 32 tackles along with 5.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. He also broke up seven passes in his final year of play. He earned another Honorable Mention All-Big Ten nod as a result.

Joyner participated in the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl this offseason.

Size/Testing

Joyne
Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota defensive lineman Jah Joyner (DL54) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 262 pounds

Arm Length: 34 inches

Testing Numbers: Forty Yard Dash: 4.60 seconds / 10-Yard Split: 1.67 seconds / Vertical Jump: 30 inches / Short-Shuttle: 4.68 seconds / 3-Cone Drill: 7.33 seconds

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Standout Traits on Film

Ja
Oct 29, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive lineman Jah Joyner (17) lines up against Rutgers Scarlet Knights tight end Johnny Langan (21) in the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Joyner is a lengthy power rusher who is much more athletic on film than his testing numbers would imply. His explosion off the line of scrimmage is fantastic, and he understands how to win using his length to his advantage. The flashes of high-end pass rush wins, along with his closing speed to the ball, make him an intriguing player for teams to target late in the draft.

Joyner has the added bonus of being a disruptor on the defensive line. He has forced four fumbles in his career to go along with nine pass deflections from the defensive line. He understands how to get his hands in passing lanes, and he makes his sacks count by ripping at the ball and creating turnovers.

The Colts edge room could use another warm body this offseason, as Laiatu Latu is the lone player with a contract past the 2025 season. Joyner wouldn't factor in to be a starter, or even a rotation player, in year one, but he has some traits worth developing for the future.

His length and his flashes as a pass rusher are intriguing, and he could be the team's next developmental project at strong-side defensive end. With Kwity Paye's future up in the air after this year, it makes sense to sink resources into potentially finding a replacement.

Colts' Interest

Ja
Feb 26, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota defensive lineman Jah Joyner (DL54) during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Joyner is certainly the type of defensive end that Chris Ballard would like, even with the lackluster testing numbers. His blend of length and power is exactly what the team goes for with their big defensive ends, and his untapped potential as a pass rusher is certainly there on film.

If the Colts opt to address edge rusher later in the draft, a player like Joyner could make a lot of sense as a developmental project. He has the traits and the size, he just needs some fine-tuning to be an everyday rotational player in the league.

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Zach Hicks
ZACH HICKS

Zach Hicks is the Lead Analyst for HorseshoeHuddle.com. Zach has been on the NFL beat since 2017. His works have appeared on SBNation.com, the Locked On Podcast Network, BleacherReport.com, MSN.com, & Yardbarker.com. 

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