Indianapolis Colts: Making the case for Eddie Goldman

After losing a few pieces on the defensive line the Indianapolis Colts have to add more “beef” there via the draft.

Without Cory Redding, now with the Arizona Cardinals, and Ricky Jean Francois, who was released and joined the Washington Redskins, Florida State defensive tackle Eddie Goldman could be a target for the Colts with the 29th overall pick.

More from Indianapolis Colts

General manager Ryan Grigson didn’t waste time and found a free agent to fill one of the holes left by the two aforementioned veterans: former Rams defensive end Kendall Langford was brought in to help the Colts’ run defense (in particular) but let’s not underestimate the importance of the pass rush (especially now that Robert Mathis’ return has no date return set yet, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com).

Goldman is a very good overall prospect but he is a particularly good pass rushing interior defensive lineman, as his tapes reveals. The 6’4″, 320-pound junior from Washington, D.C. was a two-year starter at FSU and participated in 36 games with 27 starts. After appearing in 10 games as a true freshman in 2012 he became a starter in 2013, recording 19 tackles, three TFLs and two sacks.

2014 has been by far his best season: beyond the 35 tackles, eight TFLs and four sacks Goldman had a couple of impressive performances where he was simply dominant. Those performances earned him a couple of honors: All-ACC First Team (media/coaches), Sports Illustrated All-America First Team and AP All-America First Team.

Check out the Clemson game for example. At the end of the game (17-17, 1:36 left) he forces a fumble, recovered by Florida State, sending the game to overtime when he has to strength to add one more sack, a tackle for a loss and huge help on a 4th-and-1 stop.

Goldman played in multiple spots in the Seminoles defense and should have no problems adapting to NFL defensive schemes. Viewed by some experts as better fit for a 4-3 defense, I think his build makes him a great addition to a 3-4 defense too, as a nose tackle in base defenses and as a defensive tackle in nickel and dime situations.

What makes Goldman worth a first-round selection are his explosiveness at the snap that allows him to wreak havoc into the opponent’s backfield immediately, his power and his technique. Goldman uses his hands very well both when he defends the run, shedding a lot of blocks and making tackles for a loss, and when he attacks the quarterback, using a very effective (and impressive for a man his size) swim move. Goldman is a true run-stuffing, bull-rushing anchor of the defensive line and not simply a “space-eater”.

Sometimes he struggles to disengage on runs down the middle and leaves big holes for the running back (as you can see in the Louisville game) but he’s able to sustain blocks more often than not, plays with good pad level and is pretty fast for a man with his build.

Indianapolis could use a player like Goldman to add a dominant physical presence on their defensive line now that Cory Redding is gone and taking him in the late first round would be a fair selection since a lot of draft experts project him to go in the late-first/early-second range.

Next: Duke Johnson a fit for the Colts?

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Indianapolis Colts