It's Clear Which Position Has Improved Most for Colts

If there was one position that the Indianapolis Colts didn't mess around with ahead of the NFL Draft, it was defensive tackle.

Indianapolis was aggressive, adding Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery through free agency, and trading Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Colby Wooden.

This is why it's fitting that ESPN's Stephen Holder named defensive tackle as Indy's most improved position for the 2026 season.

"The Colts haven't made any splashy acquisitions this offseason, so options are limited. But they did add some notable depth to their interior defensive line, where veterans Colby Wooden, Jerry Tillery, and Derrick Nnadi will compete for snaps behind starters DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart."

With a trio of new defensive tackles occupying Indy's roster ranks, let's briefly detail each.

Derrick Nnadi

Nnadi may not be an incredible defensive tackle, but he was a part of the Kansas City Chiefs' defense with Chris Jones. He played in the AFC West for eight years and was a reliable depth piece.

He has a wealth of experience, logging 130 games (98 starts) and producing 249 tackles and 5.0 sacks throughout his NFL tenure.

Nnadi isn't electric in any one area of his game, but isn't a complete liability either. We'll see where he ends up in the defensive tackle rotation through Indy's offseason program.

Jerry Tillery

Tillery is a more complete defensive tackle than Nnadi, but hasn't lived up to his first-round stock in the slightest. He was drafted with the 28th-overall pick in 2019 by the Los Angeles Chargers.

Tillery played with Nnadi in 2025 and provided the Chiefs with 20 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 12 quarterback pressures.

It's fair to say that Tillery has the promise to earn more meaningful snaps with the Colts than Nnadi, but that remains to be seen as he joins Lou Anarumo's scheme.

Colby Wooden

Without question, Wooden is the most talented defensive tackle of these three additions. At just 25 years old, the Colts clearly saw something in Wooden when they dealt off Franklin to get him.

Wooden had his best season with Green Bay in 2025, securing 50 tackles, six tackles for loss, and put up a 58.3 pass-rushing grade per Pro Football Focus.

He isn't as experienced as Nnadi or Tillery. Still, he's far more polished and has the potential to grow into a possible replacement for either DeForest Buckner or Grover Stewart when one (or both) of them ultimately leave the Circle City.

The Bottom Line

DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart walk together during training camp. — Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) and Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) walk onto the field Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, during Indianapolis Colts Training Camp at Grand Park in Westfield. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buckner and Stewart needed insurance and depth behind them for the 2026 season, and the Colts gave them just that with the additions of Nnadi, Tillery, and Wooden.

Since both are 32, it's key to try and game plan for the chance that they aren't with the Colts in the future.

At this age, they could start to regress. However, they're still one of the deadliest defensive tackle duos in the league until proven otherwise.

Indy still has areas of the roster to address, like edge rusher, wide receiver, and possibly offensive line depth. But defensive tackle can soundly be checked off of that list.

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