INDIANAPOLIS – Henry Anderson is listed as a "rookie" on the Colts roster, but you wouldn't know it by popping in his 2015 film.
When the Colts drafted Anderson in the latter stages of the third-round this past spring, he was thought to be a steal.
He's played like it through the first nine games of 2015.
"Anytime you lose someone that is a starter, it hurts. He was starting for a reason," Colts defensive line coach Gary Emanuel said earlier this week.
"He's one of the better players on our defense. He was playing pretty well for a player, not just a young guy."
|
|
2015 Defensive Snaps |
Percentage of Defensive Snaps |
|
Kendall Langford |
492 |
75.5% |
|
Henry Anderson |
450 |
69.0% |
|
David Parry |
380 |
58.3% |
|
Billy Winn |
188 |
28.8% |
|
Zach Kerr |
89 |
13.7% |
|
T.Y. McGill |
45 |
6.9% |
|
Earl Okine (practice squad) |
31 |
4.8% |
In a week where the Andrew Luck injury news has obviously (and rightfully so) dominated the headlines, Anderson's presence will also be sorely missed.
For Emanuel, he will look to reserves Billy Winn and Zach Kerr to fill the disruptive void Anderson provided the Colts defensive front.
"We will find out what they are," Emanuel says of Winn and Kerr.
"We think they are guys that have a tremendous ceiling, have the ability to make plays athletically. They play hard and are competitive. We anticipate them to do some great things out there on the field."
Winn certainly brings the most starting experience.
The Colts acquired Winn just prior to the start of the 2015 regular season from Cleveland, where he started 18 games in three years.
In Indianapolis, Winn has been playing mostly behind Kendall Langford, but he feels more than comfortable across the three line spots.
"We have guys that can play multiple positions so when scenarios like this come up…we have a lot of versatility in our room and guys are willing to step up and play at any given time," Winn says.
Kerr was a pleasant surprise in 2014 when he recorded three sacks in 12 games played, as an undrafted free agent.
Last year, Kerr played primarily in the same technique spot that Anderson has locked down this season.
"It's definitely a big opportunity for other guys to step up," Kerr says.
"We've got to step-up. We've been playing good as a D-line and a front seven. Hopefully we can just keep going and it can be a plug-in type of deal."
