WESTFIELD, Ind. -- Kwity Paye admitted he struggled a bit with the speed of his first NFL training camp practice on Wednesday.
But whatever the first round pick's struggles were, they were short-lived. Paye was a constantly disruptive force in the Colts' next three practices from Thursday to Saturday of last week, showcasing the eye-popping skillset that made him the No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
"You can see his athletic ability being able to turn the corner or take the inside move when it's there," defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said.
But Eberflus' observation came with somewhat of a caveat: Paye's strong first impression came in shells. And the real test will come when the pads come on for the first time this week at Grand Park.
"Once we get the pads on, we're going to have to reassess. It's almost like a restart," Eberflus said. "You restart and say, 'Okay, with the pads on guys can protect better. Guys can run block better in terms of the offensive line. Now it's more of real football.' So, we'll have to reevaluate that coming Monday."
Paye showed up to Colts camp about five pounds leaner while feeling more energetic, the product of an offseason effort to optimize his diet with the help of Colts dietician Kirsten Gregurich. The Michigan product put in plenty of work -- sometimes three-a-days, between agility, yoga/pilates, skill and strength work, he said -- to be ready for training camp.
And if the first few days of camp were any indication, Paye's hard work in the offseason paid off. And there's no reason to think he can't adjust to that next test after adjusting well to the speed of practices at Grand Park.
"He's quick and he's fast. He wouldn't be here if he wasn't," Eberflus said. "He just had to adjust to it. It's really about the visual for the player and understanding what the speed is because when you're dealing with an elite athlete like that, they understand that they have different gears where they can turn it all the way up and turn it down a little bit. He's adjusted well."
The Indianapolis Colts hit the field for their fourth practice of training camp.
42 RB Benny LeMay
48 S Nick Nelson, #5 WR Quartney Davis
51 DE Kwity Paye
9 QB Jacob Eason
64 G Mark Glowinski
1 WR Parris Campbell, #36 CB Andre Chachere
34 CB Isaiah Rodgers, #10 WR Dezmon Patmon
94 DT/DE Tyquan Lewis, #72 T/G Braden Smith
34 CB Isaiah Rodgers, #17 WR Mike Strachan
26 CB Rock Ya-Sin, #81 TE Mo Alie-Cox
94 DT/DE Tyquan Lewis
11 WR Michael Pittman Jr.
17 WR Mike Strachan
80 WR Gary Jennings
9 QB Jacob Eason
56 C/G Quenton Nelson
81 TE Mo Alie-Cox
99 DT DeForest Buckner
58 LB Bobby Okereke
58 LB Bobby Okereke
72 T/G Braden Smith, #63 G Danny Pinter, #56 C/G Quenton Nelson
34 CB Isaiah Rodgers
20 RB Jordan Wilkins
57 DE Kemoko Turay
25 RB Marlon Mack
81 TE Mo Alie-Cox, #71 T Sam Tevi
84 TE Jack Doyle
45 LB E.J. Speed
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
9 QB Jacob Eason, #28 RB Jonathan Taylor
56 C/G Quenton Nelson
3 QB Brett Hundley, #42 RB Benny LeMay
37 S Khari Willis, #83 TE Kylen Granson
47 CB Anthony Chesley, #80 WR Gary Jennings
47 CB Anthony Chesley, #80 WR Gary Jennings
7 WR Tarik Black, #47 CB Anthony Chesley
26 CB Rock Ya-Sin, #16 WR Ashton Dulin
29 S Sean Davis
55 LB Skai Moore
47 CB Anthony Chesley
48 S Nick Nelson
32 S Julian Blackmon
9 QB Jacob Eason
49 LB Matthew Adams
51 DE Kwity Paye
57 DE Kemoko Turay
51 DE Kwity Paye
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
17 WR Mike Strachan
13 WR T.Y. Hilton
10 WR Dezmon Patmon
12 WR DeMichael Harris
26 CB Rock Ya-Sin
28 RB Jonathan Taylor, #40 RB Darius Anderson
35 RB Deon Jackson
28 RB Jonathan Taylor
36 CB Andre Chachere
4 Sam Ehlinger
99 DT DeForest Buckner
58 LB Bobby Okereke
3 QB Brett Hundley
6 QB Jalen Morton
26 CB Rock Ya-Sin
8 P Rigoberto Sanchez
49 LB Matthew Adams
3 QB Brett Hundley
13 WR T.Y. Hilton
