Colts' early pick among 'biggest misses' from 2025 NFL draft

An early-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts was named among the biggest "misses" from that year's class by one analyst.

With the 2026 NFL draft near, SI's Matt Verderame looked back at the 2025 draft and selected picks that missed, and included was Colts' defensive end JT Tuimoloau, who the team took in the second round.

"There was a thought entering draft season that Tuimoloau could be a first-round pick out of Ohio State," wrote Verderame. "Instead, the Buckeye fell to the second round, where the Colts scooped him up with the idea to pair him opposite defensive end Laiatu Latu. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out that way. In 13 games, Tuimoloau was a part-time player, registering only 215 defensive snaps for the season. In that action, Tuimoloau had 17 tackles with six quarterback hits but is still looking for his first NFL sack."

Tuimoloau joined the Colts after a productive career at Ohio State, where he brought a well-rounded skill set, impacting both the run and passing games.

However, in Indianapolis, Tuimoloau struggled to see the field. There were several games where he didn't see any playing time -- and was even inactive -- totaling just 215 defensive snaps on the year, as Verderame mentions, which ranked fifth among Colts' defensive ends.

While Tuimoloau found himself in a veteran-heavy room, with Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, and Samson Ebukam, a head-scratching aspect to his lack of playing time is that it's not as if the Colts boasted a stout pass rush. Outside of Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis struggled to generate consistent pressure, ranking 30th in pass rush win rate. Yet, Tuimoloau still couldn't earn playing time.