Colts’ 2024 Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney offers high praise for Anthony Richardson, Laiatu Latu

With only several days left before this legendary and popular NFL football all-time pass rushing master enshrine in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 in the beautiful city of Canton, Ohio, this gifted and super-talented all-time great former Indianapolis Colts’ lineman Dwight Freeney recently joined the NFL Network’s show ‘The Insiders’.

When asked about UCLA rookie edge Laiatu Latu, who the Colts recently made the first defensive player chosen collectively in the 2024 NFL Draft with the 15th overall pick, Freeney was very complimentary of the already seemingly polished first-year pass rusher—who also offers valuable positional versatility:When asked about UCLA rookie edge Laiatu Latu, who the Colts recently made the first defensive player chosen collectively in the 2024 NFL Draft with the 15th overall pick, Freeney was very complimentary of the already seemingly polished first-year pass rusher—who also offers valuable positional versatility:

“I think he has size, and he has mobility,” Freeney said on the NFL Network’s The Insiders when asked about what impressed him about Latu initially. “He is not a quick mover but he does execute moves; then, when I just sit there and observe him and analyze tapes I see him using his hands and leverage properly. ”

“And when you’re a younger guy, sometimes that doesn’t develop until later in your NFL career. Sometimes you just rely on strength and athleticism. But when you watch him at UCLA, and how he likes to use his hands and just uses his straight out ability just to make plays, it’s going to be something interesting. ”

“I hope they think they know how to use him the right way and put him in those positions because he can move around from the toms to the snare as well as fits in on chairs and the rest of the kit too. You always know I’m on the right side, plain as day right? This guy also plays the toms, the snare and even seats. ”

“So it will be hard for offenses out there to find where to comp him if he is to continue with his growth He just improves on what he already possesses. ”

Of course, Freeney is aware of all that as he is also quite familiar with pass rushing with 125. 5 total career sacks, which is ranked the 26th most in NFL history, along with 47 career forced fumbles (* tied for the third most in recorded NFL history), so that should be fairly high praise.

Freeney was arguably equally effusive when he was asked about Colts’ 2nd-year starting quarterback Anthony Richardson—and what’s impressed him the most so far regarding the young, uber-talented Indy quarterback:Freeney was arguably equally effusive when he was asked about Colts’ 2nd-year starting quarterback Anthony Richardson—and what’s impressed him the most so far regarding the young, uber-talented Indy quarterback:

“Man, he should be playing defensive end, I tell you! I mean you know but no, he does a great job and I was very surprised by his poise I think that was the biggest thing you know, when your a rookie, sometimes you get out there it’s like a deer in the headlights, you don’t know what to do you just run because that’s what the can do and lean on that!”

“The games I saw him play, he stood in the pocket, made all the proper throws, when he had to scamper, he was decent He should’ve dove a bit early, y’know… . These guys are out here to knock your ass out, and your one of the faces of the franchise man, and I need you for all the games, all the 16 of them, not just some few…. ”

Frankly, I expected we might get a ‘blast-from-the-past’ pro comparison of Freeney to McNair who was a former co-NFL MVP who played his prime for Tennessee Titans and was an ex-AFC South rival of the Colts like Richardson, who was almost impossible to tackle and also was a big bodied and strong, dual threat signal caller with a big arm.

However, to do so Freeney decided to praise Richardson’s improvement as a passer and, admitting that the highly athletic and very mobile quarterback needs to be a bit wiser dealing with potential hits on himself in the future.

Suffice to say, Freeney being a longtime, highly productive pro pass rusher faced Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, and McNair, among others, so he obviously knows and had to pressure some elite opposing QBs of his generation.

With what Silver said about Richardson’s rookie performance during an injury shortened debut pro campaign, should be highly inspiring.