The Colts' Best Kept Secret?
The Indianapolis Colts have several recognizable players on the roster including the likes of Jonathan Taylor, Shaq Leonard, and Quenton Nelson, but Bleacher Report (B/R) considers cornerback Isaiah Rodgers to be their best kept secret.
B/R writer Alex Ballentine believes the Colts' trust in Rodgers helped persuade them it was safe to trade veteran Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys.
Rodgers had to play a role in that feeling for the Colts. The 25-year-old has looked the part when he's on the field and has played 1,006 snaps since he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 draft.
Over the last two seasons, he has given up just 6.6 yards per target. The ball production wasn't great in 2022. He had no interceptions and just three passes defended. However, he made plenty of plays on the ball when he saw 65 targets in 2021.
A lot of the attention is going to be shifted to second-round pick Julius Brents at the cornerback position. Don't be surprised when it's Rodgers that is generating some buzz when OTA's get started. -- Alex Ballentine, B/R
Rodgers may not have had the interception numbers in 2022, but his 82.1 overall grade and 81.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) were career highs.
He ranked as the No. 9 overall corner on PFF's highest graded cornerbacks.
Rodgers will see a substantial increase in the fourth year of his rookie contract. He played on $895,000 last year, one of the best bargains in the NFL, and he will see his base salary jump to $2.7 million in 2023 according to Spotrac.
If he has another successful season, he could join the eight-figure club. 21 cornerbacks are scheduled to make at least $10 million in 2023, and Rodgers could join them as an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
