CBS Sports names Colts’ Samson Ebukam as team’s most “underappreciated player.”
Another mainstream NFL source believes that the Colts’ Samson Ebukam is the team’s most underrated player.
According to CBS Sports Tyler Sullivan, Indianapolis Colts starting defensive end Samson Ebukam is the team’s most underappreciated player headed into the 2024 regular season:
Samson Ebukam
Ebukam proved to be a heck of a find for the Colts last offseason and an ideal replacement for Yannick Ngakoue along Indy’s defensive line. The veteran mirrored his sack totals with a team-leading 9.5 in 2023 (a career-high) and also finished the year with 57 tackles, 17 quarterback hits three forced fumbles. In a defense that features DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye, and first-round rookie Laiatu Latu, don’t sleep on Ebukam.
After signing a 3-year, $24 million deal with the Colts last offseason, Ebukam proved to be a prudent veteran addition along the Indy d-line during his debut Horseshoe campaign.
The 7-year veteran recorded 57 tackles (39 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 48 QB pressures, 8 QB hits, a pass defensed, and 3 forced fumbles during all 17 starts.
Ebukam was PFF’s 14th highest graded defensive end with a +84.4 overall grade, including a +80.0 run defense grade. Per ESPN, Ebukam had their 16th highest pass rush win rate (19%) and 3rd best run stop win rate (35%) among all qualifying edges this past season.
As a high-energy pass rusher with some moves at his disposal, Ebukam proved to be an impact pass rusher for the Colts—leading their defense with a nearly double-digit 9.5 sacks. However, it was his upgrade as a run defender to departed veteran Yannick Ngakoue that also provided a significant difference along the Indianapolis defensive line last year.
It’s not the first team that Ebukam has been labeled as underrated before the 2024 season—as PFF shared a similar sentiment a few months ago.
The well-rounded veteran defensive end is definitely a key player to watch headed into the 2024 campaign—even in what’s become a very deep Colts defensive end group.
