After speaking with executives, scouts, and coaches, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler emptied his post-NFL draft notebook, and included was an NFL comp for Indianapolis Colts’ second-round pick JT Tuimoloau.

In Fowler’s conversations, one comparison that he continues to hear when discussing Tuimoloau is now retired Cincinnati Bengals‘ defensive end Sam Hubbard.

“Hubbard is a Tuimoloau comp I’ve heard in my talks — a big, strong, explosive guy at 6-foot-5 and 269 pounds,” Fowler wrote. “(Hubbard is the same height, but four pounds lighter at 265.) Tuimoloau’s 23.5 career sacks suggest he’ll aid a Colts defense that ranked 31st in pressure rate last season (26.2%).”

Hubbard brought a well-rounded skill set to that Bengals defense for a number of years. He routinely graded out well against the run by PFF’s metrics, and from 2019 through 2023, he recorded at least 30 pressures each year, including two seasons with at least 60 pressures and double-digit sacks.

Tuimoloau comes to the NFL after being an impactful three-down presence at Ohio State, similarly to what Hubbard had done with the Bengals. Tuimoloau finished the 2024 season ranked 14th among edge defenders in pressures and sixth in run defense grade.

Another similarity between the two is that they both have the ability to play inside if needed during obvious passing situations.

As Fowler put it, the addition of Tuimoloau was a “comfort-zone pick” for new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who was Hubbard’s defensive coordinator from 2019 through 2024.

With there seemingly being quite a bit of overlap between Hubbard and Tuimoloau’s games, Anarumo’s defensive scheme should help maximize Tuimoloau’s abilities.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts’ DE JT Tuimoloau compared to Bengals’ Sam Hubbard