Julius Brents Fits Like a Glove in Gus Bradley's Scheme: Film Room
The Indianapolis Colts have finally made a selection in the second round, picking Kansas State cornerback Julius Brents with the 44th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
This is not a surprising pick for anybody that has closely followed the Colts this draft cycle, as the team has been linked to the lengthy cornerback all offseason. They met with him extensively at both the Senior Bowl and at the Colts' local Pro Day.
With Brents, the Colts have their perfect partner on the outside with Isaiah Rodgers Sr.
Strong Side vs Weak Side
Julius Brents is going to slide in perfectly as the Colts' strong side cornerback in 2023 (and beyond). The way that the Colts utilize their corners is quite simple; there is a strong side player and a weak side player.
The weak side player is the smoother, lockdown corner that can survive on an island. The single-high safety shades away from this corner, and this player is generally left alone to win their match-ups in space.
The strong side player is the corner that needs to play more like a safety/cornerback hybrid. This player needs to be a strong run defender, excel with zone eyes in their cover three shuffle, and have great explosion to attack downhill.
Julius Brents will be the Colts' starting strong side cornerback.
Here is a film example to better show what I am talking about. On this cover three match concept, Isaiah Rodgers Sr is the weak side corner while Stephon Gilmore is acting as the strong side player.
The Denver Broncos are in a 3 x 1 look so the Colts' are shading the deep safety over the top of the strong side. Isaiah Rodgers Sr is trailing his backside pass catcher in man, while Stephon Gilmore is bailing into his cover three drop. What Gilmore is being asked to do on this play is primarily what Brents will be doing in Indy.
Bailing into cover three drops, attack downhill on underneath options, and being a menace against the run. These attributes will make Julius Brents an outstanding fit alongside Isaiah Rodgers Sr on the outside:
The Traits to Succeed
I mentioned three traits needed to excel as a strong side cornerback in Indy, so let's look at how Brents fits into each of those as a prospect.
Cover Three Hips
Brents has phenomenal zone eyes in his shuffle and understands when to sink deep and when to attack downhill. He played with outstanding ball skills and physicality on these reps at Kansas State
Attacking Downhill
Speaking of attacking downhill, Brents flies to the football in front of him. His 40 inch vertical shows up on film on numerous occasions, and he will excel immediately in this Gus Bradley scheme:
Run Defense
On top of all of this, Brents is arguably the best run defending cornerback in this draft class. He tackles through ball carriers and uses his length to smother players in space. Elite run defender to pair with Kenny Moore II on day one:
The Bottom Line
Julius Brents is far from a complete player at the cornerback position, but he is a phenomenal scheme fit that has sky high upside with his movement ability. If the Colts' can refine his technique, Brents could be a massive steal on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.
