Colts Getting a Closer Look at IU Turnover Machine

Last month, the Indianapolis Colts had several defensive roster gaps open up, with strong safety being one of them. Nick Cross signed a deal with the Washington Commanders, ending his four-year stay in Indy.

Cross finished the 2025 season with 120 total tackles, which ranked second on the team. For the most part, his run defense was better than his pass coverage, but Cross had his moments.

Either way, the former third-round selection may have opened the door for another Day 2 pick to take his place.

The Colts have met with Indiana safety Louis Moore, according to KPRC 2 reporter Aaron Wilson.

Indiana @IndianaFootball All-American, national champion safety Louis Moore @llm__11 (six interceptions last season) one of most instinctive playmakers #NFLDraft visited #Colts (#Cowboys visit invite conflicted with Pro Day)
Zoom meeting with #Vikings today
Over 25 meetings… pic.twitter.com/Ah4j5Jfht3
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 13, 2026

Moore returned to Indiana in 2025, helping lead the team to a national championship. In that final campaign, he recorded 90 total tackles, six interceptions, and three passes defended, earning first-team All-Big Ten and All-American honors.

Moore could be the perfect player to fit Chris Ballard's vision of getting younger on defense, although his testing numbers were noticeably worse than Cross's from 2022. Moore ran a 4.63s 40-yard dash, had a 34-inch vertical leap, and measured in at 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds. He's on the smaller side, but his instincts could separate him from the pack.

Moore recorded an interception against Ohio State in the Big 10 championship and against Oregon on the road early in the season. His playmaking skills jump out on tape, but there are valid concerns regarding his size.

Colts' Current Safety Situation

The Colts have brought in several free agents, including Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas. Owens has experience as a starter for the Houston Texans, but he fell out of the rotation in Chicago. Thomas started a handful of games for the Dallas Cowboys last year, but migraine issues kept him sidelined for most of the season. In his limited playing time, Thomas snagged three interceptions.

Aside from those two, the Colts have Cam Bynum starting at free safety, entering the second year of a four-year, $60 million deal that he signed last offseason. Indy also has Hunter Wohler, who practiced with the first-team defense in training camp last year as a seventh-round pick. Wohler was kept out for the season due to a Lisfranc injury.

"Hunter (Wohler), like every time we kept asking him to do something, he’d do it at a high level," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said when asked about Wohler's return. "Whether it was on special teams, where the impact he would’ve made, at safety, being able to play dime."

Wohler also has the size to play linebacker, another position of need for Indy after they traded Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers. There's a chance that defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo uses the second-year man out of Wisconsin in multiple ways.

Moore has the chance of being a full-time starter at the professional level, but he'll need to clean up areas of his game. The Colts might not be willing to take him on Day 2, but he could be an exciting Day 3 selection if he's still available.

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