Top Colts of 2026: Jaylahn Tuimoloau Takes Expected Next Step

Outside of Dayo Odeyingbo, the Indianapolis Colts have struggled to net positive results from defensive ends in the second round of the NFL Draft under longtime general manager Chris Ballard.

2018 second-round pick Tyquan Lewis carved out a role as a rotational player for several seasons, whereas Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu quickly proved to be early-round busts.

The aforementioned Dayo Odeyingbo showed a ton of promise during his rookie contract, totaling 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss to earn a nice payday with the Chicago Bears, but even then, this quartet of second-round draft picks left much to be desired.

The Colts' most-recent second-round selection at the position, Jaylahn Tuimoloau, has been viewed as the eventual Kwity Paye replacement after his prospect profile suggested he'd be a plus run defender with pass-rush upside early in his career.

Tuimoloau flashed as a rookie, but was backlogged in the team's defensive end rotation under first-year defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

With the Colts' veteran defensive end rotation of Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Tyquan Lewis now out of the mix after leaving elsewhere in free agency, Tuimoloau has a golden opportunity to turn those flashes into tangible results.

That's precisely why we have Tuimoloau at No. 18 on our "Top 25 Colts of 2026" rankings. He sports a solid mix of first-year flashes and a second-year opportunity to prove his doubters wrong to become a viable starter opposite budding star Laiatu Latu.

To check out our full rankings and where Tuimoloau stacks up among the other Colts on the list, you can see the updated "Top 25" list here.

Background

After a four-year career at Ohio State, Jaylahn Tuimoloau was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round (45th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft.

He was the definition of productive at the college ranks, totaling 39 tackles for loss, 21.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions during his three seasons as a full-time starter for the Buckeyes, but his strong finish is what solidified him as an NFL prospect.

During his senior season, Tuimoloau had 21.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles in 16 games, proving that he was a run-stuffing playmaker with true three-down potential.

Tuimoloau entered the NFL as one of the more pro-ready prospects at his position, especially as far as Day 2 (rounds 2-3) prospects go, due to his ultra-productive career in the Big Ten and solid measurables (6'4", 255 lbs), but he struggled to find quality playing time in his first season in the league.

He played in a quarter of the team's defensive snaps (215), while playing in 28% of the special teams as a rookie, totaling just 17 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 6 QB Hits in 13 games played.

Part of this was due to a string of nagging injuries (concussion, oblique) that prevented him from finding his groove as a first-year player, but it was also because he was behind two veterans with a ton of starting experience in Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam, which resulted in him being a healthy scratch from the team's gameday roster on multiple occasions.

Although he didn't land a sack during his rookie campaign, Tuimoloau's pressure rate suggests that he'll expand upon his uninspired showing in his second season.

This spin move from #Colts rookie DE J.T. Tuimoloau (#91) was lethal. He didn't get home, and it might've technically been in garbage time, but an impressive rep nonetheless.

Dare I suggest that it's reminiscent of a certain former Colts pass rusher? pic.twitter.com/PvcKcxwJZc
— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) October 28, 2025

According to Next Gen Stats, Tuimoloau had 15 pressures and 6 QB Hits on 123 pass rushes as a rookie. Overall, this 10.8% pressure rate was second-best out of all Colts' defenders.

He did this in a minimal role, with some of this performance coming against the opponent's second unit once the game was effectively over, but it's enough to remain hopeful that Ballard, Anarumo, and Co. have something up their sleeve.

Outlook

The Indianapolis Colts have added veterans Arden Key and Michael Clemons to the mix as they reframe what their defensive end rotation opposite Laiatu Latu had been in the previous two years, but they are largely betting on Jaylahn Tuimoloau to take a big step in his development in his second season.

With longtime starting defensive end Kwity Paye now out of the equation, Tuimoloau can prove to be the succession plan that general manager Chris Ballard and Co. were hoping for, and he feels poised to take advantage of the opportunity at hand.

“My goal was to just be as lean as possible and become more twitchy and a lot faster. I think this is my first offseason having to not worry about no (NFL) Combine or Pro Day. So, I actually got the time to sit back and really process what I wanted to get done. And it was just leaning out to – one, to become bigger, stronger, faster in every area possible," Tuimoloau explained earlier this offseason.

"And I set a goal, sent it out to my trainers, and told my family like look, this is what we're doing and told my team this is what we're doing, and I feel like I accomplished that."

Between the Colts' official roster and Pro Football Reference, Tuimoloau's current weight suggests that he's fluctuating somewhere between 265-275 lbs as he enters his second season.

Adding weight to set the edge on a consistent basis opposite Laiatu Latu bodes well for his continued acclimation, and his versatility to play in Lou Anarumo's complex defense accentuates the potential that he can become what the Colts have envisioned him to be.

We'll get our first look at whether or not Tuimoloau is up for the challenge once training camp kicks off on July 29, while the joint practices and preseason play later in August will prove if the Colts need to add a veteran to the defensive end room before the regular season officially arrives.

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