Have the Colts Done Enough at Safety Going Into NFL Draft Weekend?

Heading into the NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts are without a starting strong safety. Or are they?

The Colts lost starting strong safety Nick Cross to the Washington Commanders in free agency earlier this offseason, but even then, they seemed prepared to let him walk all along. Thankfully, the free safety side of the equation is good to go with Cam Bynum set to lead the room.

Throughout the off-season, the Colts have added some low-risk players to the room in hopes that a position battle will reveal the team’s next starter back deep to fill the void Cross left.

This is the Colts safety room as draft week kicks off:

Cam Bynum
Juanyeh Thomas
Hunter Wohler
Jonathan Owens
Nasir Adderley
Daniel Scott
Reuben Lowery III
Trey Washington
Ben Nikkel

If this room were to duke it out for the open spot at strong safety, three names stick out as viable contenders. In order, here’s how they’re likely viewed if a depth chart was to be ordered today:

1. Juanyeh Thomas
2. Hunter Wohler
3. Nasir Adderley

A true position battle would still need to happen, but I feel confident this is how the Colts would rank said grouping.

Each of the three defensive backs in question shares quite similar situations going into the 2026-27 season despite being on wildly different timelines in their respective careers.

Juanyeh Thomas is looking to rebound after his 2025 season was derailed by migraines. All in all, Thomas has shown some impressive flashes in his short run (four games started in three seasons) in the league thus far.

Hunter Wohler is aiming to pick up where he left off after a strong showing in training camp as a rookie before he ultimately lost his rookie season due to injury

Nasir Adderley is the latest addition to the room, a recently unretired safety who is still just 28 years old and started 44 games throughout his rookie contract from 2019-22.

In short, they all have similar baggage, and equally lack the profiles to inspire confidence as a starter going into the season. Training camp may suggest otherwise, but as of now, it’s looking bleak.

I’d argue that Juanyeh Thomas has the most potential to be a competent starter for the Colts, while Wohler feels like the definitive sixth man of the group, whereas Adderley is fighting for snaps.

Still, have the Colts done enough at safety heading into the draft?

The opening at strong safety implies that they’re hoping for a development rather than planning for one, though they remain very high on 2025 seventh-round pick Hunter Wohler.

As I previously mentioned, Wohler had a fantastic training camp as a rookie last season, and general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen are excited to see what comes from on the other side of his rehab.

Although the position has by no means skyrocketed to the top of the Colts’ draft needs, safety has become a legitimate consideration in the middle, but especially in the later rounds of the draft.

Here some contenders in both Day 2 (rounds 2-3) and Day 3 (rounds 4-7) of the NFL Draft:

Day 2

A.J. Haulcy (LSU)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina)
Genesis Smith (Arizona)

Day 3

Louis Moore (Indiana)
Robert Spears-Jennings (Oklahoma)
Deshon Singleton (Nebraska)
Jalen Stroman (Notre Dame)

Even though the Colts are likely much higher on their current safety room than most, it wouldn't hurt adding another player to the mix via the later rounds of the draft. It's a bleak outlook as of now, but not nearly as uninspired as some are making it out to be.

In theory, there's less day-one talent the further the draft goes on, but then again, the Colts were ready to give Hunter Wohler, a seventh-round rookie, some real run last year before he was injured, so you never know just how high they are on the back half of the top consensus safeties.

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