Indianapolis, IN — The Indianapolis Colts have at times been starving for adequate cornerback play throughout the 2020s decade. With constant turnover at the position, and especially at boundary corner, only longtime Colt Kenny Moore II has remained a consistent, productive piece to said puzzle — and the Colts may have drafted his successor in Justin Walley with the 80th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
This is the third installment of an ongoing article series that’ll cover each Colts rookie from the 2025-26 season.
Expectations — Immediately following the draft selection in question, fans and analysts alike initially scoffed at the apparent value of said pick, myself included. Although Justin Walley was regarded as the consensus 194th overall prospect in the class, renowned draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, for example, had Walley as his 94th best player, exactly 100 spots higher than the average.
After doing my due diligence by reviewing his college film and observing him up close and personal throughout his first professional training camp, I see the vision at hand. He was never expected to start as a rookie, though his preseason efforts at the very least proved that he belonged, while also suggesting that his time to shine could come sooner rather than later.
Rookie Season — Unfortunately for Walley, a torn ACL ended his rookie season before it could get started. A disappointment, no doubt, but it’s even more unfortunate when you consider the additional missed opportunities that arose throughout the season with multiple cornerback casualties.
Future Outlook — As alluded to, Justin Walley’s 5’10”, 190 lb frame certainly pencils him in as an NFL slot cornerback, though he provides some versatility to play out wide. Comparing his game to Kenny Moore II isn’t even lazy, either, given he, too, offers such flexibility.
Walley was fresh off a broken wrist when he was drafted, though he famously participated in every possible workout in the pre-draft process, so immediately following that up with a torn ACL before kicking off your rookie season in the NFL is grounds for injury concern moving forward. It could’ve merely been a blip in his journey, but that aspect is off to a cold start.
With Charvarius Ward’s future up in the air, there’s a good chance Justin Walley at least enters the cornerback rotation as soon as next season.
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