Indianapolis Colts’ rookie George Gumbs is still relatively new to the defensive end position. Gumbs began his college career at Northern Illinois as a wide receiver.
Although he’s acclimated quickly to being a pass rusher over the last few seasons, in the grand scheme of the NFL, he’s still a bit raw.
Gumbs has established a strong foundation for himself as a pass rusher, but how do the Colts ensure that he can hit the ground running in the NFL?
“You just got to keep giving him repetition,” said defensive line coach Marion Hobby. “Put him in the practice situations, you know, get that confidence that he can play. He’s already a confident football player. I don’t know if you have much time to visit with him, but he has a nice little aura about him.
“He’s a confident player. Now, success in football always breeds good things. When guys have success, this is the hardest sport in the world: practice, practice, and then in the game you don’t have success.”
Over 136 pass rush snaps at Florida last season, Gumbs generated 13 pressures and three sacks, per PFF. The year prior, he logged 26 pressures and five sacks across 188 pass rush snaps. He’s taken advantage of his opportunities and been a willing run defender.
Gumbs measures in at 6-04 and weighs 245 pounds. He had an impressive NFL combine performance, which includes running a 4.66-second 40, along with a 41-inch vertical and 7.00-second 3-cone.
As a rookie, Gumbs could find himself competing for rotational snaps at defensive end, but the bulk of his playing time in Year 1 could come on special teams.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts coach shares initial impression of rookie DE George Gumbs
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
