30 Days of Colts Fits: IDL C.J. West, Indiana

The 2025 NFL Draft is officially under a month away. In order 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 next 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 Indiana defensive tackle C.J. West.

Background

Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) scrambles past Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman CJ West (8) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

West is a former three-star recruit who began his career at Kent State. He began his career as a reserve player in 2020 but quickly emerged as a starter as a true sophomore in 2021. He played in 666 total snaps as a sophomore, totaling five sacks, 41 total tackles, and 17 stops. He continued his steady play for the remaining two years he spent at Kent State, slowly increasing his production as a run defender over time. He transferred to Indiana following his graduation at Kent State.

West emerged as a top defensive player in his lone season with Indiana. In just 420 defensive snaps played, West totaled 36 tackles, 22 stops, 24 pressures, and one sack on the year. His 88.1 run defense grade and his 11.4% run stop percentage this past season both rank in the top 10 among draft eligible defensive tackles in this draft class (according to Pro Football Focus).

West attended the East-West Shrine Bowl this offseason, standing out as one of the best players in attendance.

CJ West is a DT prospect who POPS on film.

Posted an 88.1 run defense grade in 2024 to go with his 25 pressures. Capable of playing 1 or 3 tech.

At 6’1, 314lbs, he reminds me a bit of Poona Ford. pic.twitter.com/Ao5nMy0gWL
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 19, 2025

Size/Testing

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana defensive lineman CJ West (DL39) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 316 pounds

Arm Length: 31.5 inches

Testing Numbers: Forty Time: 4.95 seconds / 10-Yard Split: 1.73 seconds / Bench Press: 28 reps / Vertical Jump: 33.0 inches

Wherever you have Indiana iDL CJ West, move him up.

Dominant first day at Shrine. pic.twitter.com/wtSciA8k43
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 25, 2025

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Standout Traits on Film

Sep 28, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman CJ West (8) celebrates with vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics Scott Dolson after a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

West is a fantastic athlete that flashes some outstanding ability as a pass rusher. He wasn't consistent with it in college, but he possesses strong hands and high-end flexibility to develop as a pass rusher at the next level. The traits are certainly there for him to put it all together, he just needs to continue refining what has already worked for him.

The real standout in his game, at the moment, is his ability in run defense. West excelled as a gap-shooter in Indiana's diverse defensive front, and he even made some plays reading and reacting to what was happening in front of him. He can step in and immediately produce as a run defender in the league, espeically for teams that want to game their defensive fronts a bit.

C.J. West is a fun player on film. Explosive athlete with some suddenness as a pass rusher. Indiana stunted/slanted their defensive line a ton last year and he was used as an explosive gap shooter inside.

Think he still has some untapped potential heading into the NFL pic.twitter.com/srgI1lDumQ
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) April 10, 2025

The Colts have been searching for a Grover Stewart backup for half a decade at this point. With Stewart now sitting at 31 years old, the Colts need to find an eventual successor to the dominant defensive tackle. A player like West could be a worthy investment, as his blend of size and run defense prowess makes sense to sit behind Stewart for the next few seasons.

The Colts' backup defensive tackles have played a ton of snaps in recent years, so adding a player like West almost seems like a must in this class. He could spell the veteran defensive tackles in front of him as a rookie and provide some much needed juice in his limited snaps early in his career.

Size be damned. CJ West is a disruptor. pic.twitter.com/GkbSrGpqq3
— Jake Hefner (@JakeTHefner) April 1, 2025

Colts' Interest

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana defensive lineman CJ West (DL39) looks on during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I haven't heard the Colts connected to West too much during this draft process, but he fills a pressing need on the roster. At the current moment, Neville Gallimore is set to be the backup nose tackle for the Colts in 2025. Gallimore is an adequate rotational piece, but he is certainly not a nose tackle in the NFL. A player like West can free Gallimore up to play a role that better fits his style of play.

In a draft class with so many intriguing run stuffing defensive tackles, the Colts need to make it their mission to come away with at least one. The team needs depth on the interior, and a player like CJ West can provide an extra spark off of the bench.

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