The best move to fix the Colts pass rush isn’t the highly requested trade for Vikings Jonathan Greenard, it’s a different trade
The Colts should focus their trade efforts on Josh Sweat over Jonathan Greenard to fix their pass rush ahead of the 2026 season.
It’s not a secret that the Indianapolis Colts need to make a big move to upgrade their pass rush this offseason.
The team made a run at free-agent Trey Hendrickson but ultimately lost out on signing the former All-Pro, who instead signed with the Baltimore Ravens. The NFL free agency market at edge has dried up significantly when it comes to starting-caliber edge rushers.
This has led many to assume the team should look to the trade market to make this needed upgrade. The popular name being thrown around is Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who people believe is on the trade block this offseason. I agree the Colts should trade for their EDGE upgrade, I just think it should be a different player.
Colts should trade for Cardinals EDGE Josh Sweat instead of Vikings EDGE Jonathan Greenard
Let me preface by saying I also think Greenard would be a good fit with the Colts, and he would be a clear upgrade for Indy. I don’t think he is the best option available on the trade market for them to consider. I think that player is Josh Sweat of the Arizona Cardinals.
Sweat just finished up his first season with the Cardinals, where he appeared in and started all 17 games and recorded 12 sacks, setting a new career high. He spent the first six years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and recorded 43 sacks with the team, 39 of which came in his final five years in Philly.
Sweat is a proven speed rusher who wins quickly off the line and, in my opinion, is exactly what the Colts are looking for to play opposite Laiatu Latu. He will turn 29 on March 29, and last year showed that he is in the middle of his prime as an NFL player. I think both he and Greenard would be big-time additions, but there are several factors that point to Sweat being the better addition.
Among NFL players who played atleast 50% of the league average pass rush snap total of 656, Sweat had the 19th best pass rush win rate at 15.1% and the 16th best true pass rush win rate at 20.2% via Pro Football Focus. He would have had the second-best pass rush win rate on the Colts last season, only behind Laiatu Latu’s 15.4%, and the best true pass rush win rate on the team, ahead of Latu’s 19.4%
Now comparing these numbers to Greenard, who in 12 games last year didn’t meet the 50% threshold of pass rush snaps finished with a 16.6% pass rush win rate and a 15.5% true pass rush win rate. True pass-rush win rate, in my opinion, is where this conversation swings in Sweat’s favor. He wins on the line quicker and at a more effective rate than Greenard.
Greenard is a better all-around edge rusher who impacts the run game at a higher level and plays with more strength than Sweat. The Colts need a quicker rep winner opposite of Latu, who is already a finesse rusher on the Indianapolis defensive line.
Greenard is coming off a year in which he recorded only three sacks and is looking for a new contract as part of a trade. Sweat is coming off a career season and is entering the second year of the four-year $76,400,000 contract he signed with Arizona. I think Sweat’s contact is a better fit for the Colts, and I think his skill set gives the team something they desperately need on the line. If both can be had at the same trade price, I would prefer to see Indy add Sweat.