Of the Indianapolis Colts’ eight draft picks, which one will you be watching most closely this season?
Of the Indianapolis Colts’ eight draft picks, which one will you be watching most closely this season?
Pro Football Focus recently answered this question for all 32 teams, and when it came to the Colts, they selected tight end Tyler Warren.
I imagine this is the selection that most would make, including myself, but to take this conversation in a different direction, I’ll mention cornerback Justin Walley as someone I am very intrigued to see.
Certainly not the be-all-end-all, but the consensus big boards didn’t have Walley going as early as the third round when the Colts selected him. At 190 pounds, he’s a bit undersized and had a fairly high missed tackle rate in 2024, according to PFF.
However, what he brings to this Colts’ defense is added speed, running a 4.4 during the pre-draft process, which can help make up for his lack of size.
Walley is also a very good schematic fit for what Lou Anarumo wants to do. That aforementioned speed of his and playing experience makes him someone who is comfortable being on an island, which Anarumo’s scheme is going to ask more of from the cornerbacks.
In addition to that, Walley is versatile, able to handle a variety of roles, again, something that’ll be asked of this cornerback position in Anarumo’s disguise-heavy defense.
“You’re going to get some versatility with him,” area scout Tyler Hughes said via Indy Star. “He’s smart, competitive, tough, instinctive. I think he showcased that throughout his entire career, went up against some good receivers in his Big Ten career.
“And then he goes to the Combine, and performing everything with the cast on, you don’t see that. It’s not common nowadays. It shows you what type of player he is.”
Seeing Walley on the field and competing against other receivers will have my attention, but also seeing where he fits in this Colts’ cornerback room.
Right now, we know Charvarius Ward and Kenny Moore will be on the field, but what about that other cornerback spot opposite of Ward? Jaylon Jones is likely the front runner for that playing time, but he’s probably not sharpied in as a starter either.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a bit of a rotation at that spot, with the opponent and in-game situation dictating who is on the field with Ward and Moore.
“The more good players you have in the room, the (better) chance they all have a chance to get better and compete,” GM Chris Ballard said. “And look, at some point you’re going to need them all…at some point during the season, they’re going to get thrown in a game in a crucial moment and have to play.”