Colts' Justin Walley Pick Receives Draft Grade

The Indianapolis Colts had a curious third-round selection in Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley.

Oct 22, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Justin Walley (5) intercepts the ball intended for Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Parker Washington (3) during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-Imagn Images | Matthew OHaren-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts had an interesting selection with the 80th overall pick by selecting Minnesota Golden Gophers cornerback Justin Walley.

Support, Love & Family 〽️@JustinWalley_ chose Minnesota for all the right reasons and it led him to the @NFL and the @Colts‼️ #pROWGophers pic.twitter.com/qpiJgn0vZw

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) April 26, 2025

The Colts needed more help at safety, as well as linebacker, offensive line, defensive tackle, and running back depth. However, Walley stuck out the most to Chris Ballard in the third round, and now he's a Colts defender.

Lou Anarumo might have had a say in this, but it's a selection hard to understand after Charvarius Ward and Corey Ballentine were signed in free agency, despite the latter being more of a backup than anything else.

While it's a difficult pick to see a fit for on the surface, Walley did show out in 2024 for Minnesota. Per Pro Football Focus, he notched an overall defensive grade of 71.1, coverage of 71.3, and run defense of 71.4.

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Walley can be inserted as a nickel cornerback, which Indianapolis didn't necessarily have behind Kenny Moore II. While Walley only logged 35 snaps at slot and 442 on the outside, versatility is what Indianapolis values most in their draft picks. It also adds even more competition to an already loaded defensive back room.

Walley finished his career with 155 tackles (113 solo), 27 passes defended, seven picks, and a defensive score. Walley has the talent to make an impact for Indianapolis, even if there's a bit of a question mark over this draft add. It's not enthralling, but this draft grade is still somewhat respectable for a full position room.

However, there were more pressing needs on the roster, and cornerback didn't need to be addressed this early, so it gets just under the top marks available.

Grade: C+

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