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Indianapolis Colts doing Hunter Wohler a disservice by moving Wisconsin Badgers safety to linebacker

Wohler would have a better shot at sticking in the NFL if the Colts left him at safety.
Lorin Cox|
Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell (left) helps safety Hunter Wohler (24) get off the field during the fourth quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Camp Randall Stadium.
Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell (left) helps safety Hunter Wohler (24) get off the field during the fourth quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Camp Randall Stadium. | Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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When the Indianapolis Colts announced they were drafting Hunter Wohler from the Wisconsin Badgers, the team announced him as a linebacker, not his college position of safety.

You can understand why the team might want to put the tackling machine closer to the line of scrimmage, but the full position change might hurt him more than it helps him.

The thought process is that Wohler might not have the top end speed and explosiveness that NFL teams look for in their defensive backs.

At the NFL combine, he ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, which was tied for third-slowest among the defensive backs who participated.

But moving Wohler to linebacker isn't going to instantly solve that problem, and his 40-yard dash time shouldn't detract from his skills and instincts at the safety position.

Wohler weighed in at 213 pounds at the combine. If he's going to play linebacker in the NFL and take on blocks from NFL offensive linemen, he'll need to add significant weight.

Adding more pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame could just slow him down further, not to mention the other nuances of linebacker play he'll have to learn on the fly.

His 4.57 speed doesn't have to hold him back from succeeding as an NFL safety.

Breakout Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash in 2023. He made the Pro Bowl this year in his second season.

Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton ran a 4.59, albeit at a much bigger size.

And standout San Fransisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga, who was initially drafted by the Denver Broncos, ran a notably slow 4.64 time in the 40.

Great instincts and technical ability can make up for speed limitations at safety.

The Colts should give Wohler a chance to show that he can succeed at his natural position before they make him change his body and learn a new role at the next level.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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