Compelling position battle to decide Colts starting cornerback trio will unfold during training camp

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 all NFL cornerbacks. Jones led the Colts with 12 pass deflections last season and earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week recognition following his two-interception performance in an early Week 3 win over the Bears.

JuJu Brents enters a pivotal third season as he seeks to finally unlock the potential Indianapolis thought was possible when scouting its 2023 draft class. Brents finished his rookie season starting opposite Jones in the final week of the 2023 regular season, but the Indy-native has missed 23 of a possible 34 regular season games during his first two seasons with the Colts. Like Anthony Richardson – the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft – Brents was given an early opportunity to become an NFL starter, but must prove he can consistently stay healthy before earning those first-team reps again. Brents is the tallest defensive back on the roster at 6-foot-3 and could become a player to watch if he turns the page to the next level this season.

“I don’t want a lot of high ups and downs, especially at that position,” Anarumo said last Wednesday. “I want to know what we are going to get week in and week out.”

Rookie cornerback Justin Walley is the wild card of the bunch, with the versatility to play inside at nickel or outside in Anarumo’s mix of disguised coverages. Indianapolis’ third-round draft pick impressed both Steichen and his new DC during the rookie offseason program. Walley led Minnesota with 12 pass deflections to earn Second-Team All-Big Ten conference honors in 2024. At 5-foot-10, Walley was under the radar before he showcased his speed at the NFL Scouting Combine and ran a 4.40, 40-yard dash inside Lucas Oil Stadium. His instincts are best evidenced by a low rate of 41.8% of targets caught, which ranked among the top 10 cornerbacks who were eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Samuel Womack III started eight games for the Colts after being claimed off waivers from the 49ers prior to the start of the 2024 season. Womack posted career-highs in 2024 with 36 tackles, nine pass deflections and two interceptions in 17 games. For the fourth straight summer, Womack will have to claw his way up the depth chart with no guaranteed roster spot.

Corey Ballentine signed a one-year deal with the Colts during the first week of free agency. The 5-foot-9, Ballentine has compiled 69 career games, including 11 starts in his first six seasons with the Giants, Jets, Lions. and Packers. Ballentine adds some depth to a unit that has truly lacked depth in every offseason of recent memory.

Can the reshaped secondary finally complement the stampede of a pass rush Indy boasts? The Colts have 10 cornerbacks listed on the current roster, but a retooled secondary means tough decisions will have to be made when considering how many cornerbacks make the 53-man roster. Indianapolis has allocated over $30.3 million to cornerbacks for the 2025 season, which is sixth-most in the league. Aside from the quarterback competition, there’s a starting spot on the defensive side of the ball that will be heavily discussed before the start of the 2025 season.