Colts have two promising rookies on defense

Stanford-turned-Colts defensive linemen David Parry and Henry Anderson performed very well in Indianapolis’ preseason game versus the Eagles, providing Indianapolis with some hope that they could make an impact in their rookie seasons.

Both players were very productive for Stanford in 2014. Anderson, who was selected in the third round, was a menace to Pac-12 offensive lines. He led all interior defenders with 57 total pressures, helping him to a 92.5 overall grade — the highest for an interior defender in the nation. As a nose tackle for the Cardinal, Parry's college stats were less flashy, but his 86.2 run-defense grade was impressive. (He was drafted in the fifth round.)

Anderson finished the Philadelphia game with a +1.9 overall grade. His best play came at 12:48 in the second quarter, when he stepped outside the block of the right guard with ease to force the running back to bounce to the outside for no gain. The play was nullified by a holding penalty on the left tackle, but served to demonstrate Anderson's ability to get into the backfield and disrupt plays.

However, it was Parry who made the bigger splash against the Eagles, with a +4.3 overall grade. Parry was dominant against the Eagles second-string line, frequently gaining leverage in the run game. Three run stops from just 15 snaps against the run gives Parry a 20.0 run-stop percentage, third among defensive tackles with a minimum of 10 snaps in run defense in preseason.

Scheme familiarity is certainly a help to both players, and it's never wise to read too much into a preseason performance. But this was a promising start for both players, on a team that could use some more impact performers on defense.