Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Josiah Trotter is PERFECT for Indianapolis Colts' Future at Linebacker

Starting point is 00:00:00 Today's prospect spotlight focuses on a linebacker with NFL bloodlines, and he might just be the perfect linebacker for the Colts long-term future. 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. now the number one sports podcast network out there. Thank you for joining us today, everybody. I am Jake Arthur, your Indianapolis Colts beat writer for Roundtable Sports, joined by the ever-effervescent, we'll say, Zach Hicks,

Starting point is 00:00:47 the biggest film nerd in the game when it comes to the Coltsphere. And if you guys heard on our most recent episode, we teased this at the end. We're going to start bringing these little prospect spotlights to you. and just these kind of like bite-sized episodes, talking to you guys about some of our favorite draft prospects throughout the process. We'll bring some free agents into it at some point as well. But today we wanted to start with the linebacker position,

Starting point is 00:01:14 a group we're really starting to like, Zach, because when you focus on the fact that we don't have a first round pick, the second round really seems chalkful of some good front seven prospects. And so today you have highlighted for us former Missouri linebacker by way of West Virginia and son of former Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. It's Josiah Trotter. So what do you got for us?

Starting point is 00:01:40 Yeah, no, you gave a good background there, Josiah Trotter. You know, he originally committed to West Virginia, missed his true freshman season due to an injury, but started the entirety of the 2024 season for West Virginia. One like Big 12 freshman all conference honors, freshman of the year honors, and parlayed that into transferring to Missouri. Goes to Missouri is among the top 10 in the conference and tackles and tackles for a loss in his first year there as a red shirt sophomore. And I think he was all first team, all SEC as well in his first year starting in the conference. So got off to a pretty quick start in one of the toughest conferences in college football.

Starting point is 00:02:20 And yeah, there's a lot to like about Josiah Trotter on film too. I mean, one, you have the bloodlines, right? Jeremiah Trotter is a player we all remember. I mean, maybe I don't remember, but Jake, I'm sure. You remember, all pro player in 2000, 2001. And you can kind of see the same traits in his son here, Josiah, where this big, lengthy, athletic, twist, like, just bendy linebacker that has all the athleticism in the world to play the position.

Starting point is 00:02:45 I think for my money, he's the best, well, second best run defending linebacker in the class behind Sunday Stiles, obviously from Ohio State. But I think he's the second best linebacker, second best run defending linebacker in the class. Really good arms, really good power in his. his punch, knows how to avoid and deconstruct blocks at a high level. And whether it's zone runs or power runs coming at him, I think he plays it exceptionally well. So you get that aspect. I think he's got good traits that project well to man coverage as well in terms of

Starting point is 00:03:15 just being able to run down running backs and tight ends with his length and his speed. And also as a blitzer, you see some really cool flashes on film. There was a couple against like Texas A&M where I'm seeing him bend around the corner against Trey Zoon who's going to be an NFL center. Two sacks against Alabama as well on blitzes in that game. There are some really good traits there when it comes to blitzing and defending the run that I think make him a day one impact player in the league. There are some concerns with zone coverage,

Starting point is 00:03:45 given that he's only 20 years old and only has two years of starting at the college level. I don't think the feel is overall like is there right now. But this is a player who I think can certainly grow into it and become that all around do it all linebacker he's my i mean depending on where you have arbell reese in this class he's my linebacker two or linebacker three uh i think i'm going to finish with like a top 30 grade on him in this draft uh i think that the sky is the limit and i compare him to a player like devon lloyd who's about to hit for agency and get paid you know 20 to 25 million dollars by some team out there uh if you want like a little bit more of a lower end cop like a dion henley from from the

Starting point is 00:04:25 chargers just fits that mold of lengthy, aggressive attacking linebacker. And he's got so much runway in front of him to be a good player in this league. Maybe in year one, it's a little bit up and down. But I think by the end of his rookie contract, this is going to be a star linebacker in the NFL. Yeah. I know when you watch a guy and he's not already super, you know, adapt and past coverage, it can be concerning that he's just going to be a thump or what have you.

Starting point is 00:04:53 But like you mentioned, he's really fluid. He's just an oily mover. You know what I mean? Like he's got the hips that can flip really well. So that doesn't really concern me when it comes to his growth in coverage. Like you mentioned, laterally and everything in front of him, he's already pretty good. You know what I mean? Like I don't really have concerns for what's in front of him.

Starting point is 00:05:15 But it's zone, like you mentioned, like kind of your peripheral vision and your feel for where guys are, just like you mentioned. I think that'll just come with more reps. And he's only going to be 21 in April. So he's a very young player. So, yeah, I think right now he can make a quick impact because he's already very good run defender. He'll probably take some lumps in coverage, sure. But he has, you can see clear identifiers that he will probably get there sooner rather than later. Like, I know when you forecast him like to the Colts, people get concerned about, well, Ziger Franklin is, you know, is a liability in coverage.

Starting point is 00:05:53 it's much different. You know what I mean? Like you see traits with this guy that Franklin doesn't necessarily have. But one of the most important things to me about Trotter is he's just got he's got the things I love. Like he's going to go run into fire to get to the ball carrier, you know, very aggressive, not passive in the least when it comes to get into the ball carrier. He finds really narrow areas in the trenches to get through. He's powerful. and he's a sure tackler as well.

Starting point is 00:06:24 And you had mentioned his pass rush. He's actually got a pretty high pass rush win rate as well. So this is a guy who within the end of his first year into his second year, he's going to be a pretty good three-down linebacker that you probably don't have, probably don't have to worry about much at all when it comes to any aspect. Yeah, no, absolutely. And when we get back here after a quick break, I am so pumped to talk about how I think he is the perfect fit for the Colts in this draft.

Starting point is 00:06:49 Like, yes, I think they could use a coverage guy. with him. But in terms of what this Colts defense does and how Lou Anuromo deploys his linebackers, I think Josiah Trotter is like a perfect one-to-one fit for what this Colts team needs. But we'll talk about that here in just a second. Finding a doctor you actually like can feel like discovering a diamond in the rough. Sure, you want someone who's in network nearby and has availability, but you also want someone who listens, makes you feel comfortable, and explains things clearly. That kind of doctor does exist and finding them is easy with Zoc Doc. Zoc Doc is a free app and website that helps you find and book high quality and network doctors so that you can find someone you love without all the hassle.

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Starting point is 00:10:50 very kind of glove fit for this defense, especially if you want to move on from a certain someone at some point. But Zach, why don't you tell us how the Colts can get to Trotter and what it's fit is? Yeah. So in terms of where he could go in the draft, I think honestly, in this class, once you get outside the top 10, it's all, everything's off the table, you know, because as a lot of people have been saying, this is a draft class where there's like six to seven or six to eight. I know I just killed myself in the comments there, six to eight, like blue chip players in this class. And after that, it becomes open season from players like 10 to 40, 10 to 50. Anyone in that range could go anywhere.

Starting point is 00:11:34 And I think Trotter falls perfectly in that range with his youth, with his speed, with his athleticism. So it really wouldn't shock me if he went in like that 20 range. But as of right now, I see him on a lot of big boards being, you know, in that 40 to 60 range in a lot of them. So I think if the Colts were to want them, it would have to be at that 47 pick. But I'd feel more than comfortable taking him there, not only with what I think he can be in this league, which is a top 10 linebacker by the end of his rookie contract, but also with his fit in this defense.

Starting point is 00:12:06 I think Louana Rumo's defense and just similar defenses like this, like Brian Flores' defense and types like this, I think are just great fits for a player like him. Like he is an aggressive downhill. Hill, one of those players where, you know, you have to hold him back with a leash at all times. And once you let him off, then he's go, go, go. And these type of systems that Lou and Flores and them run really accentuates that type of play. You know, if we look at how the Colts used their linebackers last season, yes, they were in zone coverage.

Starting point is 00:12:35 Yes, they were in coverage every now and then. But almost every third down snap, they're sim pressuring. They're mugging the A gap. They're getting up there on the line of scrimmage. Colts had the fourth highest blitz rate in the NFL last season. They were one of, like, I think they were one of five teams above 28% last season. So they like to use their linebackers and use players to get after the quarterback. And I think that's where Trotter really excels right now.

Starting point is 00:12:59 And then in the run game, just being aggressive with their run blitz is being aggressive with their run fits. And then having a guy where, like, yes, he's a little bit redundant with Franklin because Franklin has some of the similar strengths and weaknesses. But I think where Trotter is very different is his ability to deconstruct those blocks. We look at Franklin. and he's more run and chase. He's more of a player from the backside or if you can get him free or if he can dodge a block, he's going to make a play on the ball carrier.

Starting point is 00:13:24 With Trotter, though, it kind of reminds me of when Bobby O'Caricay came here in Indy, and they played him at Sam Linebacker for a little bit, and he was just running over fullbacks and running over offensive tackles that were pulling out to get him. Trotter kind of brings that same energy and explosiveness and power where he can meet alignment in the hole and not get driven back and not get knocked off the ball.

Starting point is 00:13:45 There are some reps, obviously, on film where he does, but that happens to all linebackers. I think it's more consistent that you see him meeting players in the hole and making plays in the ball. So overall, I mean, this scheme accentuates linebackers that want to play downhill and want to be aggressive and want to be impact players in both the run and pass game coming downhill. And I think that's where Trotter is really going to thrive as of right now.

Starting point is 00:14:09 So as long as this system can kind of get him up to speed and his play action responses and roboting back to locations, which I have. have no reason to think they wouldn't when I saw how Franklin and Pratt looked in those aspects last year. I think he can be an awesome, awesome fit in Louander Ramos defense. I'd be so excited if the Colts took him just for the blitzing and just for the run defense. Like, you're already winning in multiple phases of the game, just having him on the field with your team. So, yeah, Trotter might go too high for the Colts and that would be, you know, the Carson Swessinger of it all again. But, man, I would just love his fit. When we saw how Lou to pull

Starting point is 00:14:46 his linebackers and deployed his defense last year. Getting him in this like blitz heavy, just run blitz heavy type of a scheme. Oh, gosh, what a perfect fit for Trotter in this draft class. You just mentioned kind of the buzz name I was thinking of because when I watched him, I was like, I feel like this is, this is how I felt after watching Swash in here, a guy who is getting second round love, but you look at his tape and you're like, NFL guys are going to love this. Like there's, there's no.

Starting point is 00:15:16 reason from to be this low. So for him to be bottom first, early second, wouldn't be surprised. Probably not even going to be there towards the end of the top 50 when the Colts are picking, potentially. I mean, this is, this is a decent, deeper linebacker class than last year, I would say, maybe a little more variety than last year. So that could put him available to the Colts there. But yeah, it's, they're not far off. And Schwessender, again, defensive rookie of the year. just some things to cover up in coverage, which I think Trotter has the same thing going on. But I was going to actually ask you. So it sounds like eventually would you want him to be the mic or like full on will all the time?

Starting point is 00:16:02 Yeah, I'd prefer him more on the mic in this system. And like honestly, I think he could be fine alongside Franklin. Franklin more is like the will. It would be a weird fit in year one because you'd want Trotter to grow into the green dot where Franklin's been the green dot guy for a couple of years. I think play style-wise, you prefer Franklin as the will and Trotter as the mic because you can have the mic kind of fitting a little bit harder against the run and the will is more in that run-and-chaise type role, which I think Franklin thrives in more. But because of the experience, because of the age difference and just Franklin being the

Starting point is 00:16:34 green dot for so long, you probably prefer Franklin as the green dot early. And then as Franklin gets phased out or moves on to another team the next couple of years, then Trotter could take over that mic role similar to the same growth that Frank Franklin had actually with the Colts as well. So yeah, ideally I think he projects well to be a Mike in the NFL, but I think he can play some Sam. I think Will could be perfectly fine for him. I just prefer him more at like the point of attack more so than like a player like Franklin

Starting point is 00:17:02 because Franklin's more run and chase than Trotter. No, I think he fits well because kind of lost in this all. We talk a lot about Franklin, but the Colts are also likely losing Jermaine Pratt, who I think Trotter can kind of fill a lot of those holes because Pratt's kind of built the same way where he's just kind of reckless abandon. He's like he's big though. You know what I mean? He's he's bigger than Trotter. So he's able to kind of brush off some of the the attack. But Trotter is just stout. You know what I mean? Like like you mentioned, he's not really going to get caught up in the mess too much. So I really like that. And it's a way to incorporate a bigger,

Starting point is 00:17:39 tougher linebacker who has athleticism. I'm going to guess that he's going to work out pretty well in Indy here. But you don't. don't have to sacrifice the size. You know what I mean? You don't have to get a kid who's Kyle Lewis's size. We're going to wind up talking about. But like Lewis is undersized for linebacker. There's no other way around it.

Starting point is 00:17:58 Trotter's not. But you're going to get pretty good athleticism and mobility out of it without sacrificing the size and strength, which is a big deal. Yeah. No, for sure. 6-2-237 moves very well. We'll see if he works out in Indy. He did have knee surgery right before his bowl game.

Starting point is 00:18:15 So we will see if he works out. But I think if he does, we're going to see some pretty great testing numbers from Josiah Trotter. But that is all we have for today, guys. This is our Prospect Spotlight series. So if you enjoy this kind of content, leave us a like or subscribe or leave us a positive review on iTunes, however you listen to your shows.

Starting point is 00:18:35 Thanks again for tuning into this bonus episode of Lockdown Colts. They'll be back yet again tomorrow. So make sure you subscribe to our show and get all the latest episodes. And if you don't already, make sure you're following at Lockdown Colts at Jake Arthur, NFL and at Zach Hicks 2, all on socials. And if you never missed that episode, then remember the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get Locked on Colts audio without all those ads. So add free plus members only Discord access and much more.

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Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Josiah Trotter is PERFECT for Indianapolis Colts' Future at Linebacker

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