Colts 2016 player preview: Nose tackle David Parry

The Indianapolis Colts will report to training camp on July 26 with their 90-man roster, which will be cut down to 53 players by the end of the preseason.  To pass the time until camp, we're taking a look at every player on the Colts' 90-man roster.  Today, we're looking at nose tackle David Parry.

Who is he?

Last year, just three rookies who were selected in rounds four through seven started all 16 games, and one of those players was in Indianapolis.  Nose tackle David Parry was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Stanford, where he played in 40 games and started 23, and he took over as the Colts' starting nose tackle in week one.  The team cut Josh Chapman following the conclusion of the preseason, paving the way for Parry to become the unquestioned starter as a rookie, a roll he didn't give up as he started all 16 games.  He did a solid job too, as he recorded 31 tackles and a sack and proved to be a dependable force in the middle of the defensive line.

What is his role?

Parry played well enough as a rookie last year that the Colts can reliably count on him heading into the 2016 season as well, which is likely why they didn't really address the nose tackle position this offseason.  Parry enters camp as the favorite to win the job, though the depth along the defensive line for Indianapolis could lead to more of a committee approach.  Zach Kerr is actually the only player listed as a nose tackle on the team's official roster (Parry is listed as a defensive tackle), but a guy like Arthur Jones could work his way into the mix at nose tackle too because of Henry Anderson and Kendall Langford occupying the other two defensive line spots.  Furthermore, in today's NFL there's not as much of a need for a true nose tackle anymore, so it's likely that the Colts will very much utilize a rotational approach along the defensive line to get everyone mixed in.  Regardless, David Parry is the projected starter at nose tackle.

What are his chances?

The Colts will probably go with a rotation all along the defensive line, but David Parry figures to be a significant part of that at nose tackle.