The Indianapolis Colts drafted University of Michigan DE Kwity Paye with the 21st overall pick to pair with All-Pro DT Deforest Buckner and boost the Colts defensive line. And by the looks of it, Paye is enjoying his time in the early days of his Pro career.
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The former Wolverine impressed many during his career at Michigan, which made him the 2nd defensive lineman off the board in the draft. And in his first OTA’s of his career, he caught the eye of a few, including All-Pro LB Darius Leonard.
Kwity Paye has an NFL home in Indy. #NFLDraft @Colts | @OfficialKwity pic.twitter.com/D1FxKLp0hC
— NFL (@NFL) April 30, 2021
Kwity Paye says it’s fun not having to focus on the classroom.
While in Ann Arbor, Paye had to balance his life as a defensive lineman with his responsibilities in the classroom. But now as a professional football player, Kwity Paye has the opportunity to focus his learning on the playbook, watching tape, and other activities directed toward improving as a football player.
It didn’t take Kwity Paye long to work his way into the #Colts starting lineup during OTAs: pic.twitter.com/uVs6DSUpan
— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) May 27, 2021
“It’s like, now I wake up and be like, ‘Man, I have no school. I have nothing to do but focus on football.’ It’s fun now,” Paye said, via JJ Stankevitz of the team’s website. “Just to be able to focus on one thing, yeah that’s cool. . . . I feel like I always took pride in what I did on the football field. Now I just get to be a better version of myself because I have more time in the day to really hone in on my craft.”
Kwity Paye was a terror in college. He racked up 50 tackles and 6.5 sacks in his junior year and followed that up with 16 tackles and 2 sacks in 4 starts of his senior year. The former Wolverine then ran a 4.52 sec 40-yard-dash at 261 pounds during the NFL combine which shot him up the mock draft boards.
“I have no school. I have nothing to do but focus on football.”@OfficialKwity is adjusting to life as a pro.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 27, 2021
The Colts’ defence should have a prominent place for him if the extra work he’s able to do continues to pay off. Paye’s work ethic will definitely fit in with the Colts’ culture.
