Stampede Blue
“Just the consistency of work that’s going to have to show throughout training camp, throughout the preseason games to determine who’s going to get that job,” Anarumo told reporters during minicamp.
One key competition that will unfold during Indianapolis Colts training camp — aside from quarterback —is the battle for outside cornerback. A handful of players will have the opportunity to compete at Grand Park in Westfield and three preseason games for one starting job.
When was the last season the Colts didn’t have to figure out how to fill a void in the secondary? Indianapolis has struggled to find a pair of cornerbacks that fit together over the last two seasons under head coach Shane Steichen, forced to rotate a carousel of eight different sets of starters in that span. Two words that Steichen has repeatedly told reporters he looks for are “consistency” from his players and “continuity” with his team. Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has experience going through this transformation with a revamped defensive unit before and has echoed the same traits he’s looking for in a player that Steichen is.
“Just the consistency of work that’s going to have to show throughout training camp, throughout the preseason games to determine who’s going to get that job,” Anarumo told reporters during minicamp.
Indianapolis invested $60 million across the next three seasons to sign coveted cornerback Charvarius Ward on the opening day of free agency on March 12. The position battle for the cornerback that earns the Week 1 start opposite the former All-Pro cornerback will be the most discussed throughout the preseason. Ward was listed at No. 15 on the Pro Football Focus cornerback rankings ahead of the 2025 season. Ward, who led the NFL with 23 pass deflections during his 2023 Second-Team All-Pro campaign, aims for a bounce back season following a rare down year in San Francisco.
Indianapolis’ three-time captain Kenny Moore II is one of the better slot corners in the league, coming in at No. 30 on PFF’s best cornerback rankings. The 29-year-old veteran posted a 70.8 defensive grade last season, which was the best grade among all projected starters in the Colts secondary. Moore allowed just 9.0 yards per reception in 2024, which was tied for the fourth-fewest yards allowed among qualified cornerbacks.
Jaylon Jones was the third cornerback the Colts selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, barely on the radar. Indianapolis’ seventh-round draft pick out of Texas A&M did not have a guaranteed roster spot, so Jones had to make the most of his opportunities just to move up the depth chart. Jones made his first start in Week 5 of his rookie season and has not missed a single game since then.
Jones started in all 17 games last season and should receive the early first-team reps during camp after missing minicamp due to a soft tissue injury. The 6-foot-2 ironman returns with the most experience among the competitors after totaling 1,146 defensive snaps last season, which was fifth-most among...
