30 Days of Colts' Fits: Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
The 2023 NFL Draft is officially just under a month away. In order to help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Colts could target next month.
The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.
Next up on the countdown to Draftmas is Kansas State cornerback Julius Brents.
Background
Brents is a former three-star recruit that chose to attend Iowa over offers from Boston College and Michigan State. Brents, a local Warren Central product, played sparingly in his first three seasons with the Hawkeyes. He was a team leader and a rotational player but opted to transfer after his junior year in order to start for another team.
In 2021, Brents transferred down to Kansas State, where he immediately became a starter. He started 13 games in 2021 for the Wildcats, accumulating 49 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 3 pass deflections, and an interception. He earned Honorable Mention All Big-12 honors for his first full season as a starter.
Brents broke out with outstanding play as a senior in 2022. He started 14 games for the Wildcats, totaling 45 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, 8 pass deflections, and 4 interceptions. He earned First-Team All-Big-12 honors for his outstanding play on the season.
After the season, Brents was invited to the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl game. He was lauded for his strong play throughout the week and emerged as the top cornerback at the event this year.
Size/Testing
Height:
6'3"
Weight:
198 pounds
Arm Length:
34 inches
Testing Numbers:
40 Time: 4.53 seconds / Vertical Jump: 41.5 inches / Broad Jump: 138 inches / Short-Shuttle: 4.05 seconds / 3-Cone: 6.63 Seconds
Ability on Film
Brents is an athletically gifted cornerback prospect that is still just scratching the surface of what he can be one day. He boasts incredible length and size on top of having nimble feet. He has a rare combination of these traits, and he truly has top-tier cornerback potential in the right system.
Brents is an experienced player that has worked in both press-man (Kansas State) and quarters (Iowa) based schemes. Looking at just his ability in zone, he has perfected the shuffle technique in his deep zone drops. He transitions well in and out of his breaks and has phenomenal ball skills to go along with it:
Brents is still finding his way in press coverage, but his length and patience make him hard to beat for any wide receiver. He could stand to be a bit more assertive and physical, but he is a difficult player to shake in close. He sits on routes with ease and has the quickness to make plays on any passes in tight:
Brents is also a phenomenal edge-setter in the run game. He isn't afraid to get dirty and play the run whatsoever. Whichever team selects him in this class is getting a major asset in this underrated area of the game for cornerbacks:
Fit with the Colts/Team Interest
The Indianapolis Colts are in desperate need of cornerbacks this offseason. Kenny Moore II will be back for 2023, so the slot position is officially taken care of (for now). Isaiah Rodgers Sr. likely slides in as a starter on one side, but after that, it gets a bit ugly. The only other outside cornerback of note on the roster is Dallis Flowers, a 2022 UDFA that primarily played special teams a year ago.
Brents is an incredible fit as a strong-side cornerback in Gus Bradley's scheme. He has the length and the physicality to get up in press coverage while also having the zone eyes that is needed to work in cover three drops. He could slide in as the team's day one starting cornerback alongside Isaiah Rodgers and find immediate success.
In terms of interest, Brents is a local product from Indianapolis, so he will be at the Colts' local pro day this offseason. He also had a meeting with the Colts at the NFL Combine, so there is a little bit of smoke between the Colts and this talented cornerback.
Overall, I can't imagine a better fit in this class than Brents. He is a local kid that has absurd talent and fits one of the Colts' biggest needs. The last time the Colts had a slam dunk like this one was Terry McLaurin.
Hopefully, the Colts make this easy pick happen on draft night.
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Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.
