How the Colts’ secondary looks like going into the offseason
Players: Julius Brents, Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas, Dallis Flowers, Jaylon Jones, Kenny Moore (UFA), Julian Blackmon (UFA), Ronnie Harrison Jr.
The weakest link in the Colts’ defense is clearly the secondary right now. Starting with the cornerbacks, 2nd round pick Julius Brents was the best Colts’ cornerback when he was on the field, which was not that much. When healthy, he has that #1 cornerback spot locked up without a shadow of a doubt, as his physicality and coverage skills are a cut above the rest of the position group. 7th round pick Jaylon Jones was surprisingly solid, as he played the most snaps on the outside of all cornerbacks, and while he did make some key mistakes in several games, as if to be expected from a rookie cornerback, overall he was average. Jones is the type of cornerback that you preferably do not want starting out there, but if he has to come in you know he will not leave your defense constantly exposed (think of Troy Brown against the Saints).
Slot cornerback Kenny Moore is set to become a free agent, and after a tough 2022-23 season, like most of the team, he bounced back this past year. The thing with Kenny is that his size makes him almost unplayable on the outside, and there is always the question as to how well he fits in Gus Bradley’s defense. His value to the locker room and as a veteran leader on a young secondary also have to be taken into account when making the decision to either re-sign him or let him go.
Dallis Flowers is tough to analyze, because he was having a breakout season as the starting cornerback before suffering an achilles injury in Week 5 that cost him the year. Now with Jones and Brents as sophomores, and more reinforcements probably coming in, who knows how the depth chart will look like in September 2024.
As for the safeties, Julian Blackmon is set to become a free agent, but I strongly believe he will remain with the team. Despite some injuries here and there, Blackmon has always been a lock for a position in the backfield when healthy, and he fits Bradley’s defensive scheme like a glove.
The other safety spot is a toss between Rodney Thomas and Nick Cross, two completely different type of players. Seriously if you take the duo and combine their strengths you would have one of the best safeties in the NFL. Where Thomas is more mental and positional, Cross relies a lot on his athleticism to make plays. Both have been burned in the past because what one excels at the other lacks, and as the old adage says: you cannot teach speed. That is why I expect Cross to take over the starting job and continue growing, as was the case later on last season.
Potential Additions: Steven Nelson, Ahkello Witherspoon, Jaylon Johnson, Sean Bunting. Early draft pick.
The Colts could potentially try and add a veteran cornerback to help stabilize the outside rotation a bit, especially in case injuries appear, which they always find a way to do. Nelson and Witherspoon are similar in that they should not be too expensive and could come in and most likely start from day one. Johnson would most likely be much more expensive, but would erase the need for an outside corner.
If the Colts choose to go the younger route, there are plenty of options right there at the #15 spot that could make an impact right away.
Overall: C +
The Colts need another outside cornerback and a starting safety to pair alongside Julian Blackmon. If Kenny leaves then that would mean the Colts would also need to add a slot cornerback. This is the position group I expect to see the most turnaround from in the offseason.
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