One of the more important positional battles taking place for the Indianapolis Colts during training camp will be at defensive end. While Laiatu Latu will lead the way, the starting role opposite of him is up for grabs.
Competing for those snaps are Arden Key and Jaylahn Tuimoloau. Although there is still a long way to go before Lou Anarumo has to determine who will start at defensive end in Week 1, the first training camp practice may have shown where things currently stand on the depth chart.
As noted by Noah Compton of Horseshoe Huddle, it was Key who got the early first-team reps over Tuimoloau.
Now, this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Key is the far more experienced player, as he is about to enter his ninth NFL season, and during that span, he’s produced at a steady level. Tuimoloau, meanwhile, played just 215 snaps as a rookie in 2025.
That said, Tuimoloau likely offers more upside. The question, however, becomes how quickly he can begin tapping into that potential.
Regardless of who ends up as the starter, the other player will still see the field. Defensive end is a heavily rotated position with four or even five players seeing regular snaps.
A must for the Colts’ defense this season is that this unit needs a more consistent pass rush presence around Latu. Whether or not Key or Tuimoloau can provide that presence remains to be seen.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Is early leader emerging in Colts’ defensive end competition?
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
