In another disappointing season for the Indiana defense, the one bright spot was the growth and production of the linebacking corps. In 2016, a majority of the unit will be back and ready for more. Before we dive into the guys that will make up the “2” of the 4-2-5 defense this year, keep in mind that the husky position will function much like an outside linebacker or striker would. Those guys have been left out of this preview, as we will only focus on the traditional linebackers to avoid confusion.

Over the last few seasons, Coach Wilson has very quietly been assembling one of the league’s most talented units at linebacker. The production was expected, yet absent in the recent past. However, 2015 proved to be the breakout season for the unit if you will. The top three guys last year combined to total 249 tackles to go along with a mess of sacks, PBUs, forced fumbles and recoveries. The unit was a bright spot on a very underwhelming defense, and many of the same guys are back to help the defense take a major jump under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen.