Top 25 Colts of 2026: Justin Walley Continues What He Started as a Rookie

The Indianapolis Colts parted ways with longtime defensive pillar in cornerback Kenny Moore II earlier this offseason, leaving an underrated hole to fill in Lou Anarumo's defense.

Moore II had been the Colts' starting slot cornerback for the past eight seasons, and was a consistent, dependable force near the line of scrimmage.

He totaled 21 interceptions, 68 passes broken up, 6 forced fumbles, 11.5 sacks, sand 39 tackles for loss in his nine-year tenure with the Colts, and earned Pro Bowl honors once for the 2021 season.

Moore II's production and reliability began to slightly drop off in recent years, but his presence will be missed regardless.

He was a former undrafted free agent turned Pro Bowler and netted contract extensions to become the league's highest-paid slot cornerback on multiple occasions, so how do the Colts go about replacing a player of his caliber?

The Colts are betting on second-year cornerback Justin Walley to fill the void, and they are incredibly confident that he's up for the challenge.

That's exactly why we have Walley at No. 15 on our "Top 25 Colts of 2026" rankings. He has yet to make a regular-season impact in the NFL, but his potential suggests that the Colts got a steal in the 2025 NFL Draft and this upcoming season will begin to prove that.

To check out our full rankings and where Walley stacks up among the other Colts on the list, you can see the updated "Top 25" list here.

Background

The Colts drafted cornerback Justin Walley in the third round (80th overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft. The selection was met with a bit of scrutiny at first, mainly due to his overall consensus ranking (194th overall), but he quickly proved his doubters wrong in his first training camp as a rookie.

The 5'10", 190 lb cornerback was working back from a broken wrist he sustained late in his senior season at Minnesota, yet he showed up and participated in all events at the NFL Scouting Combine, and then took that mindset into training camp where he quickly proved that he belongs.

#Colts veteran CB Charvarius Ward’s first impressions of rookie CB Justin Walley:

“He’s shown me he can be a dog.. He’s had some rookie mistakes b/c he’s a young guy, but he’s been competing with all of the big dawgs. I think he’s got it in him — that ‘it’ factor.”

🎥: @Colts pic.twitter.com/srzaskaf5G
— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) June 16, 2025

Although he's a smaller player at his position (22nd percentile), Walley plays bigger than he is, and was immediately viewed as the future Kenny Moore II replacement.

But with Moore II still around as a rookie, it would make sense that Walley would be relegated to a backup, understudy type of role, but his rookie-year training camp said otherwise.

“His energy level, competitive spirit — everything about him is what we want. He embodies it," defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said about Walley's loud introduction to the team. "He’s smart, too. Learning both inside and outside."

Walley was flying around from the start, breaking up what felt like multiple passes a session, and was destined for a big role as a first-year player.

But in the last weeks of the preseason, Walley tore his ACL, and had his promising start cut short.

“If [Justin Walley and Hunter Wohler] do not get hurt, they play major roles last year," general manager Chris Ballard reiterated earlier this offseason. "Unequivocally.”

He was now out for the entirely of his rookie season after looking to have secured a starting role alongside Charvarius Ward Sr., but he views this as aminor setback that he'll turn into a major comeback.

Outlook

Walley was set to start on the outside opposite Ward as a rookie, but with Sauce Gardner's midseason arrival and Kenny Moore II's departure, he is now set to start in the slot for 2026.

Second-year defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is a defensive backs specialist by trade, and he especially aims to have a do-it-all type of player at his nickel position.

Thankfully for both he and Walley, Anarumo believes that the Colts' second-year cornerback can be that player.

"I've said it since the play happened at Baltimore -- as a rookie, we're in some sort of team drill against them at Baltimore, Lamar [Jackson] sees a rookie out there with Rashod Bateman, and most rookies would've had their eyes in the backfield and gotten beat, but Walley matched the double move, came out of it, ran down the field and broke the pass up, and I was like, 'We've got one.' Anarumo said during a podcast spot on The Colts Show earlier this offseason.

"I haven't seen much of a drop off," Anarumo said of Walley's return to form so far this offseason. "He's really picked up from where he left off."

It'll be interesting going from a consummate professional and playmaker at the position after all those years, to betting on a second-year player with no regular-season experience, but the Colts are confident they found just the right guy to make it happen.

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