Colts' Rookie Pass Rusher Named Team's Offseason Standout By Bleacher Report
So far, so good for Indianapolis Colts' rookie pass rusher Kwity Paye.
Paye, selected 21st overall by General Manager Chris Ballard and the Colts in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, has impressed Colts' brass to date in offseason training activities and minicamp, proving to be a quick study.
For a rookie that is still quite raw and will get his acclimation to the NFL through trial by fire as the likely Week 1 starter, that's great to hear coming out of minicamp.
“He has just been outstanding so far with us, working with the D-line coaches and everybody else,” defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said to reporters during minicamp. “Some of the things that you look for — you say, ‘What makes him great? What are the examples of that?’ I would say (it’s) his attention to detail.
“You can tell when you ask him questions about a particular defense, he can dive into the detail and absorb that in a quick manner and be able to give it back out to us on the practice field. … That’s going to accelerate his play and accelerate him even faster. So we are excited about that.”
Though it is just football in shorts at the moment, it's hard not to get excited about Paye based on Eberflus's words. Typically, it takes a rookie awhile to get his feet underneath him when it comes to the playbook, his assignment, and understanding what is asked of him in certain situations.
So far, that doesn't appear to be the case with Paye, which fits everything the Colts said they knew about him coming out of Michigan.
Getting off to a fast start in OTAs and minicamp has Paye poised for a big rookie season as a projected starter along a strong Colts' defensive line under Eberflus. The fast start has him headed in the right direction off the field too, which plays just as much of a role mentally as his physical traits play on the field.
“I feel like I always took pride in what I did on the football field,” Paye said following minicamp. “Now I just get to be a better version of myself because I have more time in the day to really hone in on my craft.”
Thanks to his quick start and the praise being thrown around about him, Paye was an easy selection for the Colts' offseason standout player, according to Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski.
We'll see how Paye fares in actual game action once the pads come on in training camp in the preseason, but so far he's generating all the right headlines this offseason and has Colts' brass, teammates, and fans excited for what he could provide on the field in 2021.
Have thoughts on Kwity Paye's fast start to his career at OTAs and minicamp? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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