The Indianapolis Colts are in the early stages of a new era. Therefore, much of the attention on the team is surrounding head coach Shane Steichen and quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Both are entering their first season with the team, and the expectations are high. But there's other proven talent on the roster that will have a major impact in how successful the Colts are in 2023.

Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is among those. Buckner has proven to be among the best at his position and is the leader of the Colts' defense. Fortunately, his play has not gone unnoticed as Indianapolis has struggled.

Leading up to the season, ESPN is polling NFL players, coaches, and executives on the best at each position. Most recently, the national media outlet published its defensive tackle rankings. 

The list included the top-10 and a few honorable mentions based on the votes from as many as 80 league personnel. Buckner finds himself safely in the rankings, landing at No. 7.

Buckner is one of the most consistent performers among defensive tackles in the rankings since 2020. Before this year, he never finished lower than fourth. He has averaged 8.8 sacks per season since 2018, and he should have multiple prime years left.

Buckner is the same player game-to-game and week-to-week. No matter the opponent or time of the yeae, he is going to show up. That is among the reasons why he was ranked as high as No. 3 at the position.

One NFL scout that was polled noted that Buckner has been long for such a long time and has not slowed down. That's despite being the clear focal point when offenses develop their game plan.

"He's been so good for a long time," an NFL scout said. "It's hard to be consistent when the offense is not scoring and the defense is on the field a lot. Was a hard situation for him last year. But I thought he [maintained] his high level of play the best he could. He's still a guy you would take all day."

The Colts star was ranked ahead of the likes of Daron Payne, Cameron Heyward and Jonathan Allen. Additionally, Colts defensive lineman Grover Stewart earned honorable mention honors in the article.

DeForest Buckner is one of the top defenders in all of the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts will be counting on him to set the tone again in the upcoming season. It's clear that he still has the respect from those around the league.

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Featured image via USA TODAY Sports