Horseshoe Huddle

Colts Secondary Must Solve Glaring Issue

Injuries have been ruthless to the Indianapolis Colts' secondary this offseason.
Sean Ackerman|
Indianapolis Colts cornerback JuJu Brents (29) warms up Monday, July 28, 2025, ahead of training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback JuJu Brents (29) warms up Monday, July 28, 2025, ahead of training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Indianapolis Colts

In a less-than-ideal way to start the preseason, the Indianapolis Colts lost third-round pick Justin Walley for the year due to a torn ACL.

Walley had been leading the team's CB2 competition against Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents after making his presence felt all over the practice field. In an unfortunate turn of events, Walley will have to wait until 2026 to see his first regular-season action.

Looking at Jones and Brents, the two are dealing with hamstring issues of their own. Jones' injury is believed to be more severe after he was carted off the practice field over a week ago.

Brents, a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has missed tons of time due to injury. He dealt with a quad issue in year one before suffering a meniscus and PCL injury in Week 1 of year two. A third-straight season with a lower-body injury isn't promising, but there's no official timetable for his recovery.

Jones, a seventh-round pick from the same draft class, started every single game for Indianapolis last season. He finished the year with 100 combined tackles, two interceptions, 12 passes defended, and one forced fumble. Jones immediately impressed general manager Chris Ballard upon entering the league and has outplayed his draft stock by a country mile.

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Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (blue and white uniform) makes a tackle on a ball-carrier.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) works to bring down Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite having two promising guys in Jones and Brents, the injury issues raise reasonable concern ahead of this season. Secondary depth has been a problem throughout Chris Ballard's tenure, and there's no end in sight.

Further down the depth chart lies Samuel Womack III, an underrated performer from 2024. Womack was graded as the 38th-best corner in the league (71.4 overall grade) according to Pro Football Focus.

Without Womack stepping up, last year could have been even uglier. As a whole, the Colts' defense allowed a 69.36% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks along with nearly 230 passing yards per game.

Aside from coverage issues, tackling was a major problem. The Colts missed 157 tackles last year, which was far and away the most in the league. That's exactly why Ballard brought in Charvarius Ward, who has one of the lowest missed tackle rates since entering the NFL.

If the Colts want to buy some insurance, there are plenty of free agent options on the market, including one name that sticks out with clear ties to the organization.

That would be Stephon Gilmore. A Colts corner in 2022, Gilmore played in one of the worst Colts seasons of the past decade. During his short stay, Gilmore hauled in two interceptions, had 11 passes defended, and allowed a 56.2% completion rate. He's spent the last two years with the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings on a reasonable salary. If Ballard wants a reunion, that's still on the table.

The Colts missed out on Eli Apple, a former Cincinnati Bengals corner with direct ties to new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Other free agent options include James Bradberry, Rasul Douglas, and Kendall Fuller. No matter the signing, it seems like a safety net is necessary to prevent another disappointing defensive season.

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Sean Ackerman
SEAN ACKERMAN

Sean Ackerman is the co-Deputy Editor of Indianapolis Colts on SI. Ackerman, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, majored in broadcasting. He's in his third year covering the NFL.

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