You know the draft is close when the Pro Day cycle kicks off.
The Indianapolis Colts staff is racking up the air miles as they travel the country to get a closer look at prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. The team elected to send newly hired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo all the way to the other side of the country to check out UCLA's Pro Day.
Why the Colts sending Lou Anarumo to the UCLA Pro Day is significant
Seeing this information, you may be asking yourself, does it really matter that the Colts sent Anarumo? In my opinion, it does, and the team's approach in past draft cycles agrees with me. The Colts typically send area scouts to just about every notable pro day, but sometimes they choose to send a positional coach, coordinator, or head coach Shane Steichen himself. They have even sent front office member Morrocco Brown to some in the past.
For example, last year, Shane Steichen and Reggie Wayne were spotted at Texas' Pro Day, and the team selected Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Or, during the 2023 NFL Draft cycle, when the Colts were scouting all the top quarterbacks, the team sent area scouts to watch Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Will Levis but sent Brown to Florida to watch and meet with Anthony Richardson. So, I think it's safe to assume there is a player at UCLA that the team has a legitimate interest in, and the writing on the wall makes it pretty clear who that player probably is.
The player Anarumo most likely had his eye on during his visit to UCLA
The top player coming out of UCLA this draft cycle is very clearly linebacker Carson Schwesinger. He hasn't been able to show off his athleticism due to rehabbing an injury, but on tape, it seems clear that he is a tremendous athlete. So, he would certainly check that box that the Colts typically covet at the position. Schwesinger didn't participate in UCLA's Pro Day but was in attendance, and I'd assume he still met with team reps on hand. He plans to participate in a private workout for interested NFL teams on April 2.
The Colts have made multiple moves to improve their defense this offseason, but they have one more glaring need remaining: LB. The team already saw Grant Stuard sign elsewhere, and 2024 starter EJ Speed remains a free agent. So there are a lot of snaps at LB up for grabs on the Colts' defense in 2025. Drafting an LB high in 2025 seems very much on the table, and Schwesinger is considered one of the class' best. Many believe he will hear his name called during day two of the draft in April, and due to the team sending Anarumo to UCLA, Schwesinger must be an option they are considering in that range.
Schwesinger is coming off his only year of meaningful production during his collegiate career. He appeared in all 12 of UCLA's games, recording 136 total tackles, and led the Big 10 with 90 solo tackles. Pro Football Focus was a big fan of Schwesinger's season, with him earning high marks across the board with a 90.0 pass rush grade, 74.7 run defense grade, 74.1 coverage grade, and an impressively low 7.6% missed tackle rate. Outside of the lack of multiple seasons of production, he seems like a perfect fit on paper for what the Colts covet at LB. And if the team elected to draft him, I think he would be a top candidate to start alongside 2024 All-Pro Zaire Franklin.
Other notable UCLA defenders the Colts could be interested in
- Oluwafemi Oladejo, Edge
- Kain Medrano, LB
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