Colts' Justin Walley Sees Starter Snaps in First Training Camp Practice

The Indianapolis Colts shocked everyone when they selected Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley with the 80th overall selection in the 2025 draft.

While a few analysts had Walley projected to go that high -- Daniel Jeremiah from NFL Network had him as a top-100 player -- most members of the media had the senior cornerback falling to day three of the draft.

The Colts, however, were stoked to get their guy in round three. "He's athletic, he's fast, he can play outside and in," said Colts GM Chris Ballard back in April. "He gives us a lot of flexibility, plus he's got top-flight football character and character. So, he was a really good fit for us."

The surprising part of this draft pick was primarily due to the Colts' needs at other positions on the roster, with cornerback looking relatively solid. Free-agent addition Charvarius Ward will be the top guy on the outside with former Pro Bowl cornerback Kenny Moore II manning the slot. Jaylon Jones was expected to lock down the second outside cornerback spot, but that appears to be in question with the addition of a player like Walley.

In fact, according to Horseshoe Huddle's Jake Arthur, Walley received the first crack at starter snaps in training camp today alongside Moore and Ward.

Jones and Richardson both went 1-of-3 in their first session of 11-of-11s.

Noteworthy, Charvarius Ward and Justin Walley were the outside corners, with Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents coming in next.

Cameron McGrone in at MIKE for Zaire Franklin.
— Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) July 23, 2025

Walley may be a rookie, but there are several factors that give him an edge in the cornerback room. The most important one is perhaps his relationship with the Colts' current defensive staff. Walley was handpicked by this coaching staff while players like Jones, JuJu Brents, and Samuel Womack are carrying over from the Gus Bradley tenure. The lack of connection to older players on the roster puts everyone on an even playing field, which is a bit rare for a rookie coming into the league.

The other major factor here is the type of cornerback that Lou Anarumo prefers on the outside. Traditionally, he has preferred players with above-average size and elite speed in his system. Jones and Brents have the size he prefers, but they lack the elite foot speed. Womack may have the speed, but he lacks the desired size.

Walley, on the other hand, has near identical measurements to Cam Taylor-Britt, a player who Anarumo quickly fell in love with while he was with the Cincinnati Bengals. At 5'11", 190 pounds, with 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash (the Colts allegedly clocked him at 4.37 seconds), Walley hits the thresholds that Anarumo wants in an outside cornerback.

Justin Walley:

5’10”
190 pounds
30.75” arms
10” hands
4.4 forty time
1.52 10-yard

Cam Taylor-Britt:

5’10”
196 pounds
31.5” arms
10” hands
4.38 forty time
1.52 10-yard
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) April 26, 2025

Walley hasn't officially won the outside cornerback job at this point, but he will certainly be involved in this competition and may even have a leg up on the other contenders. The Colts are sky high on this young player, and they are looking for an excuse to plug him into the lineup. If he continues to show out in training camp, he may be a starter from day one for the team.

Ballard even gave fans a heads up Tuesday when referring to Walley.

"Corner, with (Justin) Walley, JuJu (Brents) and (Jaylon) Jones – that's going to be a good one to watch," Ballard said. "And let me tell you, Walley is competitive now. He's a little pit bull, and it's fun to watch those types of competitions take place."

The second outside cornerback job appears to be an open competition and a player like Justin Walley is going to have every opportunity to steal it in training camp.

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