**The main question:** What will Lou Anarumo's defense look like this season?
**The positions involved:** The entire defense
**Background:** The Colts hired Anarumo as their defensive coordinator in January to replace Gus Bradley. Anarumo spent the last six seasons (2019-2024) as the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator and has 36 total years of coaching experience, with considerable experience in coaching defensive backs.
Anarumo has built a reputation in the NFL for having a versatile defense that makes things difficult both in the secondary and at the line of scrimmage. While in Cincinnati, Anarumo helped develop defensive end Trey Hendrickson into one of the top edge rushers in the game (and a Pro Bowler for all four years they were together) and drew up plans that, for example, consistently allowed cornerback Mike Hilton the opportunity to blitz; when Hilton and Anarumo worked together from 2021-24, Hilton led NFL cornerbacks with 178 blitzes.
"When I was going through that (hiring) process, I was looking at schematically what teams do, what has given myself – that I've been where I've been – fits," head coach Shane Steichen said in January. "And he's one of those guys that I got a lot of respect for. He's multiple in the back end, tight coverage, press man stuff, which will be good for us, a good switch up for us. Excited to have him on our staff."
**What to watch for during training camp:** Everything about how Anarumo and the Colts' defense will work together is pretty much unknown until everyone actually gets out on the field and begins to practice together. The overall expectations for Anarumo's defense, though, are clear: be aggressive and relentless in all areas.
Anarumo's approach toward coaching and designing coverages favors a more experienced secondary with playmaking ability – which the Colts have. Cornerback Kenny Moore II is entering his ninth season in the NFL, and the additions of safety Cam Bynum and cornerback Charvarius Ward in free agency means Anarumo will have more veterans to work with. He'll also have the opportunity to help develop younger players like cornerback Jaylon Jones, going into his third season in the NFL, and rookie cornerback Justin Walley.
As for the defensive line, well, it's a fairly similar situation. Anarumo has his veterans in defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart and his young players in defensive end Laiatu Latu, defensive tackle Tim Smith and defensive end JT Tuimoloau.
Latu, going into his second season in the NFL, drew some comparisons to Hendrickson leading up to the 2024 draft, and with Anarumo's proven success in developing defensive ends Latu is expected to make big strides this season, starting in training camp.
In Cincinnati, Anarumo earned the title of "mad scientist" due to his unpredictable and ever-changing defensive schemes; he proved to be one of the best at making in-game adjustments to put more pressure on the quarterback. The key to Anarumo's success, of course, was having the right personnel to work with.
Training camp will be the first real chance for Anarumo to see what he has with the Colts, and to start putting all of the pieces together.