Pair Of Colts' Defensive Stars Land Inside Top 5 Of Positional Rankings By PFF
On a defense loaded with big-name players and high-ceiling talent, two stand out above the rest for the Indianapolis Colts, at least from Pro Football Focus's perspective.
Working through positional rankings during the offseason, PFF highlighted defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and slot cornerback Kenny Moore II as top 5 talents at their respective positions in the NFL, providing the Colts with two building blocks on the defensive side of the football to go along with the likes of All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard.
Moore II, who is currently a bit disgruntled with his contract situation with the Colts, came in at No. 1 overall in PFF's slot cornerback rankings by analyst Anthony Treash, edging out Cincinnati's Mike Hilton and New England's Jonathan Jones for the top spot.
Even without their grading system, there's no argument to be made against Moore II as the game's best slot cornerback. It's been that way the last few years, now it's time for him to get the national respect that he deserves.
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"No one has played more slot coverage snaps since 2018 than former UDFA Kenny Moore," Treash writes. "In that span, he’s been the biggest playmaker at the position: His 12 interceptions from the slot are three more than any other player over the last four seasons, and his 1.33 Wins Above Replacement (PFF WAR) is well above any other predominant slot corner over that stretch.
"There’s no denying his ability to see the game at a high level — his instincts and processing are vital traits for a slot corner, and he checks the box with flying colors."
Without Moore in the slot, there's no telling how much the Colts' defense would fall off. It'd be very telling though, as he's such a key cog overall, in terms of communication and overall dissection of what the offense is trying to do pre-snap.
He brings that clear chip and edge to the defense too, right alongside Leonard, as a former UDFA still scratching and clawing for his respect among the greats in the game.
Along with Moore, Buckner was an easy selection for the top 5 along the interior defensive line by PFF, as the Pro Bowler slots in at No. 4 overall behind Los Angeles Rams' star Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh's Cameron Heyward, and Kansas City's Chris Jones.
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Though he posted the lowest grade of his career since his rookie season of 2016 last season, Buckner remains an absolute force in the middle of the Colts' defense against the run and as a pass rusher. He's not revered as a pass rusher alongside the likes of Donald or Heyward inside, but he's incredibly hard to stop one-on-one, and should see an increase in production against the pass in 2022 now that Kwity Paye has a year under his belt and veteran Yannick Ngakoue was added to the mix.
"Between the trade compensation and a new contract, it wasn’t cheap for the Colts to acquire Buckner, although he has provided plenty of production as return value," PFF's Ben Linsey writes. "His length and explosiveness complicate matters for opposing offensive lines, with his 45 combined sacks and quarterback hits over the past two seasons ranking fourth among all interior defensive linemen."
Here's to a big year ahead for the star in the middle of the Colts' defensive line, now that he has worthy running mates in the trenches.
Have thoughts on Kenny Moore II and DeForest Buckner ranking inside the top 5 at their respective positions by PFF? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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