On June 29 the NFL imposed punishments on four players for violating the League’s gambling policy. Two players of the Indianapolis Colts, cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and wideout Rashod Berry, have been suspended indefinitely. Since these disciplines were imposed, the Colts have subsequently waived the two players which has opened a whole in the secondary. Thankfully, the colts drafted a number of defensive backs in this past year’s draft.
After trading Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys last season, the question was who was going to play opposite of Isaiah Rodgers. However, the question has grown to whom the two boundary corners will be. Kenny Moore II could always move to the outside in non-nickel scenarios, however, we’ve seen NFL defenses favor the versatility that having a fifth defensive back on the field brings. For this reason, it is likely that we see Moore solely as a slot corner.
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Who will play on the outside?
The Colts drafted a total of three defensive backs in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, only two of the three can play corner: Julius Brents and Darius Rush.
Brents, a rookie out of Kansas State, was one of the biggest risers in this year’s draft. He’s fast, lengthy, and has the ideal frame to cover the WRs of the Jacksonville Jaguars; the team favored to win the AFC South. Brents does need to be more physical at the line and stop being so handsy down the field but he’s ready to take on the challenge of a starting role.
Rush is also a rookie who’s from the University of South Carolina. Like Brents, he’s bigger than the typical NFL cornerback but plays a game more physical for the position than normal. He’s good at dropping back into coverage and is physical at the catchpoint to separate the ball from its intended receiver. Still, he’s also a player who needs to stop being so handsy down the field and could benefit from improving his ability to mirror receivers at the top of their routes.
Image: NFL.com
Another Candidate
For the most part, rookies headline the offseason. After all, they report to their teams camps well before the veterans. Because of this, non-superstars become an afterthought when they could, in fact, be an answer. This is the case of second year man Dallis Flowers. In his rookie season, he didn’t prove to be anything special, but he wasn’t granted much of an opportunity to be with Isaiah Rodgers, Stephon Gilmore, and Kenny Moore II ahead of him. He won’t start ahead of Julius Brents, but he could earn the starting role opposite of him. One thing’s for sure, it should be an interesting battle between him and Rush for who will be the other starting outside cornerback.
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