Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Jake Golday a Perfect Match for Indianapolis Colts' Lou Anarumo, Chris Ballard

Starting point is 00:00:00 We are on the hunt for the next great Colts linebacker, and I found one that resembles last year's NFL defensive rookie of the year. Let's get to it. You are Locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. All right, welcome to Locked on Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. I am your host, Jake Arthur, your Indianapolis Colts beatwriter for Roundtable Sports. and today we continue our prospect spotlight series because man we are just we're like two and a half or so weeks out from the NFL draft.

Starting point is 00:00:44 Zach and I are pumped, but now we want to start throwing even more of these prospect spotlights at you guys. It's been a common theme for us to go linebacker because that's obviously one of the Colts biggest needs and that trend continues today. We're going with Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golda. I think you guys are going to like this guy a lot. Just some quick background on him. He is 6 foot for 239 pounds.

Starting point is 00:01:08 So he's got rare size for the position that you just don't see much of anymore. A lot of the guys this year are 6 foot 1, 6 foot 2, 225 pounds. So this guy is built like a classic linebacker. He's coming off the season for Cincinnati where he had 105 tackles, including six for loss, three and a half sacks, a force fumble, and three pass breakups. All that got him first team all big 12 honors last year. as a player you love the blend of size and athleticism again i mentioned six four two hundred thirty nine pounds at the combine he ran a four six two forty jumped thirty nine inches in the

Starting point is 00:01:47 vertical with a ten foot five broad jump as well uh his three cone was a seven point oh two so he showed off some decent agility uh so this guy is big he's athletic uh when you look on tape you can see why Cincinnati was so enamored by him as well. They used him everywhere. Over the last three, so he started for the last three years, came from central Arkansas first and then went to Cincinnati. So everywhere he's been, he's been used in a variety of ways. So he's played 852 snaps off of the edge.

Starting point is 00:02:24 He was mostly an edge player early in his career, 698 at offball linebacker, and then 522 in the slot. So this guy that's been used, it's kind of a unique blend. So he's been used off the edge, classic off ball and in the slot. You really don't see that combination a lot. You see a lot of guys who are kind of, are they pass rushers, are they linebackers like the R. Bell Reese's of the world, Micah Parsons, those guys. Gold Day is used and he does a little bit of everything.

Starting point is 00:02:55 And there's been seasons where he's played primarily in one spot, but really, you see throughout games, throughout weeks during a season. He's been just kind of a chess piece. Wherever that week, his team needs him, he's been used in that way. He's also been a five-year special teams contributor over 700 career snaps on special teams. So that gets you on the field pretty much immediately if you're an incoming player. So again, when you turn on the tape, I see just a good stout player. He's got good strength. He's going to pop up. a tight end if they give him a half-hearted attempt at a chip block or anything like that. He is just stout.

Starting point is 00:03:37 He's got great balance and he is not easily moved. Again, 6-4-239 pounds. That makes all the sense in the world. I think he shows really good flexibility and can dip around a blocker's grasp when he's in pursuit. And I think he uses his hands pretty well to combat block attempts. When he is in pursuit and he's got his eyes locked in and he's kind of a heat-seeking missile. He flies to the ball, and he's just the kind of player who they're going to run through fire to get to the ball. You know what I mean?

Starting point is 00:04:07 He is just kind of a junkyard dog in that way. He's laser focused on the task at hand on his target, and, you know, there's always a lot of trash to fight through their, you know, arm tackles, block attempts, whatever. He just seems to kind of shrug all that off and nail his target. I think he's got really, really good open field speed and takes good angles to the ball. whether it's way downfield or it's like within the box on an outside run. I think he attacks the ball really well. He wants to get physical and will lay a big hit when he can. I don't think he overdoes it.

Starting point is 00:04:42 A lot of guys, they try for the knockout punch pretty much every time. And it results in a lot of mistackles. His mistackle rate has always been pretty reasonable. It's never been about like 10 in change percent in a season, which is a pretty good mark for a linebacker. And then he's got tons of, of experience in coverage. I mentioned all the snaps he's had in the slot.

Starting point is 00:05:05 He's not perfect in coverage, I wouldn't say. But I think he would be an improvement for a lot of teams, the Colts included. So some of the downsides to him, because we're not just going to paint it in the rosiest picture. So I think sometimes it takes him a second to react to what he's seeing in the backfield. Maybe hitches a little bit in identifying run versus pass. and I think, you know, he's played for a while. That light does come on for most players at some point, especially when they play as much as he does.

Starting point is 00:05:36 So just more experience, more time in film study. That usually corrects those issues. When he's in zone coverage, I think he reacts a bit quickly to what he sees, but is very singularly focused and doesn't really have much peripheral vision and coverage just yet. Again, I think that just comes with more time, more study. he just you can be kind of easily fooled that way I think because you don't see the whole route

Starting point is 00:06:03 concept in front of you you just you know you see what your your zone is you know what your your your target is supposed to be your kind of your task in hand there and that's all you're focused on you don't see maybe like what your teammate is about to encounter anything like that that's something he's got to get a little bit better at I think his coverage is definitely good enough to get him on the field and be a three-down player, but it's not like the strong point of his game yet, which I think it eventually can be because, again, of his size, his athletic ability, his ability to jump, he's always trying to make a swat at the ball. So, like, he's got the right mentality. But I think just getting, again, more of that peripheral vision, the overall understanding

Starting point is 00:06:47 of the route concept that he's seeing in front of him, I think he'll become a really, really high-level player in that regard. And then when it comes rushing the passer, I mentioned he's got a lot of experience rushing the passer, but if he's going to do it with much regularity in the NFL, I think he needs to develop more tools in his belt rather than just trying to kind of make a violent B-line towards the quarterback. Again, some of these linebackers who kind of moonlight as pass rushers as well, they got to learn how to do more than just kind of convert speed to power and bend the edge. I don't know that he's going to be able to use. I don't know that he's going to be able to like a bull rush against an offensive tackle much. Again, 240 pounds is good when you're going

Starting point is 00:07:28 against tight ends, but offensive tackles, that might be a little bit of an issue. So coming up next, guys, we're going to discuss, you know, we just talked about who this guy is as a player, but how does that all translate to the Indianapolis Colts specifically? Workplace chaos, deadline stacking up, inbox overflowing, and the one position that you have to fill is still sitting open. When the pressure's on and you need the right hire, this is a job for sponsored jobs. Indeed, sponsored jobs helps you reach the people who actually fit what you're looking for, skills, experience location, so that you're not just hoping that the right candidate stumbles across your post. And here's a stat that says it all.

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Starting point is 00:09:40 We are prospect spotlighting Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golda today. I just broke down who he is as a player for his strengths, weaknesses, a little bit of background. Now let's talk about his specific bit with the Indianapolis Colts. So I mentioned at the top of the show, this guy reminds me of last year's NFL reigning defensive rookie the year, Carson Schwessinger. So they're very similar players, very similar strengths and weaknesses, builds even. So Schwessinger kind of flew up the board late after the combine. I had really good tape. He didn't have as much experience, playing experience as Golda does.

Starting point is 00:10:18 I think he only had one year at UCLA where he was a big-time player. but he kind of flew up the boards and the Browns were enamored and they took him at the very tip top of the second round. Now, I think Golda could have a somewhat similar ascension like that. However, linebacker is much, much deeper this year than it was last year. So while there could be a team or two that falls in love with him and would be willing to take him that early, I think this kind of supply and demand of the linebacker position in this draft class, might allow him not only for the Colts to pick him at 47, but even if they trade it down.

Starting point is 00:10:58 He could be available at the bottom of the second round as well. I think I'm kind of in favor, not kind of. I probably am of the Colts trading down a little bit from 47, just because the positions they need are really rich in the second and third round. So I don't really think it will be necessary for them to stick and pick at 47 when they could drop down to like 52 with the Packers, for example. And they'll probably have a big hunk of players. They like really a lot at 47.

Starting point is 00:11:30 Well, by the time you get to 52, there's at least a couple of them left. So I like the idea that you could still probably get Golda in that instance. So as for his fit with the Colts specifically, now they need a Mike linebacker pretty badly. They went and they signed Akeem Davis Gaither, who is a Lou Anerumo guy back from Cincinnati. Maddie. He got his first extended experience, like as a full season starter last year with the Cardinals. Goodwill linebacker, you know, or decent will linebacker. He's not above replacement level, but he's going to be good enough to start for the Colts this year. But you want him at Will linebacker. He's kind of a run and chase guy. His history shows he was

Starting point is 00:12:11 a better pass rusher coming into the league and then kind of better in coverage. But as his time in the league has developed, his strength has really become run defense. So you have him as kind of your will linebacker, just freedom run and chase. They do need a guy like Goldaida to play Mike linebacker. So he does have some similar strength as like what Zeyer Franklin was able to do, just like firing through the gap in the trenches right up the middle and making plays in the backfield is really good of that, sniffing out screens, outside runs. But I think blitzing is going to a real big deal. So as we've mentioned, that's a prominent part of Jake Golda's history throughout

Starting point is 00:12:53 his college experience. Louis and Rumo is going to bring the heat with linebackers. So if Golda is replacing Zeyer Franklin at Mike, Franklin had 113 past rush reps last year. If you're looking at Will linebacker, Germain Pratt, also had 45. So what that means

Starting point is 00:13:12 is the Colts are going to bring pressure. Now, that'll change a little bit if their cornerbacks actually stay healthy. and they get to play more man coverage and everything. But the moral of the story is a guy like Jay Golda, who has the type of size that Lou Aniromo loves at the position, that's a comparable size to Jermalbara. Germain Pratt, Jermott, just a little bigger,

Starting point is 00:13:31 Logan Wilson, guys like that. He's got Lou Anirmo size at linebacker. He's got Chris Ballard's athleticism that's always coveted at linebacker, and the skill set is there for a Lou Anurmo type linebacker as well. Pass rusher, strong and cover. coverage and getting better and just a ferocious run defender that, again, it's like letting a junkyard dog off a leash. He's going to go get the guy. And again, he's a pretty, he's got

Starting point is 00:14:01 pretty fair numbers when it comes to mistackles either. He's not going to miss tackles at the rate that Colts slambackers have over the last couple years. So this is a really strong fit with the Colts. I think you get him at 47. That's great. You trade down and still get him. That's even better. at the very lowest end, I think he could slip into the third round again, just because of how many good linebackers there are in this draft, but I don't think he would be there at 78 where the Colts are going to pick. Top of the third round, I think, is the worst he slides. But again, this is a really good player.

Starting point is 00:14:35 I could see teams falling in love with him, again, just like they did Carson Schwessinger last year, the NFL defensive rookie year. So that is one of my guys in this draft for sure. I know a lot of you guys like him as well, just from speaking with you guys throughout the draft process. Thank you for checking this show out tonight. We'll be back tomorrow for the daily show

Starting point is 00:14:56 and then tomorrow night for the Colts Squad show with Derek, Zach, and Allen and myself as well. Make sure you subscribe to our show so that you get all of the latest episodes. If you don't already, follow at Lockdown Colts at Jake Arthur NFL and at Zach Hicks 2 on social media. Don't forget to check out the Everydayer Club for ad-free episodes on audio

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Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Jake Golday a Perfect Match for Indianapolis Colts' Lou Anarumo, Chris Ballard

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