Indianapolis Colts Player Spotlight: Defensive Tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore

The Indianapolis Colts have two of the most intimidating defensive tackles known to the NFL: DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.

While this duo has terrorized offensive interiors for years, it's been more difficult for the Colts to find competent role players to back up the dominant pair.

However, in 2025, former fourth-rounder Adetomiwa Adebawore showed promise to be a reliable plug-in. After a rough start to his young career, Adebawore looks poised to build off a solid third season.

This is part three of a series where I'll detail Colts players who may not get the limelight they deserve. Adebawore's name gets lost behind stars like Buckner and Stewart, and that's fair.

However, he's vital to the success of Lou Anarumo's defense and will be a piece for new defensive line coach Marion Hobby to deploy.

Let's get started.

From Northwestern to the Colts

Adetomiwa Adebawore (purple jersey) strip sacks a quarterback. — Sep 10, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore (99) forces a fumble on Duke Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard (13) during the second quarter at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Colts drafted Adebawore in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft with the 110th-overall pick. What undoubtedly stood out most to general manager Chris Ballard was Adebawore's insane athleticism.

The talented defensive tackle had the speed of a linebacker, but the power of an interior force on the defensive line. He'd post a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.70 out of 10.00 while running a blistering 4.49-second 40-yard dash.

Adetomiwa Adebawore is a DT prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.70 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 46 out of 1491 DT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/kcBR0aeFSr #RAS pic.twitter.com/Apv7NoJVOG
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 19, 2023

Adebawore's height and weight left something to be desired, as they left him susceptible to getting blocked out of run defense. Regardless, he put together nice numbers in his four years with the Tigers.

In 41 games, Adebawore stacked 12.5 sacks, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 68 total tackles. While he wasn't a college superstar, he showed enough to give Indy hope they could cultivate that elite athleticism.

However, things didn't start well in his first two years in the Circle City.

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Bounced Back After a Slow Start in Indianapolis

Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore (white and blue uniform) celebrates to the crowd after making a play on the field — Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore (95) reacts after a missed field goal by Minnesota Vikings place kicker Will Reichard (16) during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Adebawore wasn't expected to be a starter or make a massive defensive impact, rather, to be a reliable rotational piece for Buckner and Stewart.

What ensued was Adebawore hardly seeing the field. While his 2023 and 2024 seasons saw him appear in 26 games, he only laid down 2.5 sacks, 12 tackles, and six quarterback hits.

Come the 2025 season, and not much was expected to change, especially after Neville Gallimore was signed to a one-year deal to fill the role Adebawore was hopeful for.

Gallimore provided good depth, but Adebawore was even better after two years of getting acclimated to the NFL.

He posted career-highs in sacks (4.0), tackles (36), tackles for loss (five), quarterback hits (six), starts (seven), and fumble recoveries (one).

He also supplied the Colts' defense with 34 pressures, which ranked 27th out of 134 eligible defensive tackles, per Pro Football Focus.

This is a wildly encouraging update for Adebawore, as the Colts have looked for reliable defensive tackle depth for the last few years, and appear to have found it with the Northwestern alum.

Outlook with Colts

Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore (blue and white uniform) runs full speed down the field. — Nov 12, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Adetomiwa Adebawore (95) in the first half during an NFL International Series game against the New England Patriots at Deutsche Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Adebawore may not turn into a fantastic defensive tackle for the professional ranks, but he was never drafted to be a superstar.

His standing with the Colts should be strong after looking the part in 2025. While he needs to improve his run defense (36.4 per Pro Football Focus), his strength lies in pass-rushing, and the Colts knew this drafting him.

If the Colts decide to re-sign Gallimore, it will help solidify the defensive tackle depth. However, after what we saw from Adebawore, the Colts may save coin and turn to the NFL draft for more strength at defensive tackle behind Buckner and Stewart.

It will be interesting to see what Hobby does with Adebawore in his first year leading the defensive line. It will be hard for Hobby to deny Adebawore's ridiculous speed and quickness, so the assumption is he'll keep his role that made him stand out more in 2025.

Keep an eye on Adebawore, as this is the final year of his rookie deal. This makes 2026 a critical season for Adebawore to show the Colts he belongs in the team's plans for the future.

Previous Spotlight Articles
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