Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had his introductory press conference and answered plenty of questions from the local Indy media.

One question that was bound to happen was regarding Cincinnati Bengals elite pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. The question was: “You mentioned how much Trey Hendrickson helped you out. You get another defensive lineman who is pretty good in DeForest Buckner. What do you know about his game? What does it do for a defense to have that type of talent at the 3-technique?”

Unprovoked, Anarumo started his answer by saying he liked the Colts’ 15th overall selection in 2024, Laiatu Latu, coming out of the draft. Anarumo’s answer was: “Yeah, it’s great. I really liked (Laiatu) Latu coming out as well. So, you get a guy inside, a guy outside. There are other guys up there too that can affect it.”

Anarumo gets an opportunity to develop a pass-rusher who had a solid year considering he was supposed to be integrated in with fellow edge Samson Ebukam. Latu finished with 4.0 sacks, 32 sacks (five for loss), three forced fumbles, and 12 quarterback hits.

Anarumo continued this time discussing DeForest Buckner.

“But when you’ve got an athlete inside like Buck (DeForest Buckner) is – his length, the simple thing is just batting balls down at the line of scrimmage. That’s something that we really stress, because that’s one more down that the ball is not going down the field. So, we’re thrilled with him. He plays the run as well as he plays the pass. I’m excited to work with him.”

What happens next for the Colts? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

To possess players like Latu and Buckner is massive for Anarumo to hit his stride as quickly as possible. Also, Grover Stewart and Kwity Paye will be at the veteran defensive coordinator’s disposal.

For a defensive general like Anarumo to have these types of players in the defensive trenches is key, and Anarumo has had players like that in Hendrickson and interior run-stopper D.J. Reader. Expect players like Latu and Buckner to shine with Anarumo at the helm.

This hire was much needed for Indianapolis to take the next step in the right direction defensively. While it’s far too early to call Anarumo a success, the Colts’ stop troops have talents that can heavily benefit from this type of experienced, and recently successful leadership.

Anarumo had a few rough seasons to conclude his tenure in Cincy, but now gets a full reset with a new breed of talent to utilize in many ways, confounding opposing signal-callers. Given that Indianapolis hasn’t captured a divisional title since 2014, Anarumo being brought on board is even more impactful.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud runs the division at this moment, and Anarumo specializes in giving field generals major problems, so perhaps this is the adjustment needed for Indy to get over the divisional hump.

However, Anarumo can only do so much, and Indy’s defense wasn’t the prettiest in 2024. Expect general manager Chris Ballard to work closely with the veteran coach to get him the players needed in free agency and the draft so his transition from Cincy to Indy is as smooth as possible.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.