With the Indianapolis Colts acquiring Colby Wooden in a trade, they gave the defensive tackle position a boost. However, the linebacker spot without Zaire Franklin has become an even greater need.
Even when Franklin was on the roster, linebacker was going to have to be an offseason priority for the Colts. GM Chris Ballard said as much at the NFL combine.
“The draft we think it’s good on the defensive side of the football, especially in the front seven,” Ballard said. “But it’s a definite area that we need to address.”
Now, that already large need is quite massive. The Colts are currently very short on experience at this position.
Colts updated linebacker depth chart after Zaire Franklin trade
- Jaylon Carlies
- Austin Ajiake
- Devin Versuk
- Joseph Vaughn
- John Bullock
Carlies is currently the most experienced player at this position with 242 career defensive snaps. Versuk and Vaughn have none at the NFL level.
Along with wanting to address the front seven, Ballard has also stressed the need to get younger and faster on defense. He’ll now have the opportunity to do that at linebacker as he essentially starts from scratch at this position.
What the Colts also need here is a greater coverage presence during the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts roster: Impact at linebacker without Zaire Franklin
