Colts’ 2022 training camp preview: Cornerbacks
The Indianapolis Colts are less than a week away from the start of training camp when they return to the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.
One of the rooms that went through a lot of changes this offseason was the cornerback room. The unit saw Rock Ya-Sin get traded to the Las Vegas Raiders while five-time Pro Bowler Stephon Gilmore was added via free agency shortly after.
Be sure to check out the other position previews ahead of training camp:
With training camp set to begin July 27, here’s a preview of the cornerback position:
Stephon Gilmore
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Gilly Lock was added this offseason on a two-year deal to shore up the starting unit following Ya-Sin’s departure. Despite dealing with a quad injury in 2021, Gilmore was still one of the top cornerbacks in the league. This was especially true when it came to press coverage.
Gilmore was limited during the spring as a coach’s decision but still made an impact when he intercepted a pass from Matt Ryan. The five-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year should make an immediate impact in the secondary.
Kenny Moore II
AP Photo/Jeff Lewis
Everyone will have their eyes on the situation surrounding Moore entering camp. The Valdosta State product is considering a training camp holdout due to a contract dispute with the Colts as he feels he isn’t being paid the same value that he has brought to the team.
As the league’s best slot cornerback, Moore does have an argument. He’s being paid as the 27th-highest cornerback in the NFL when he’s on the field for 100% of the snaps every week. Hopefully, this issue doesn’t leak into the season because the Colts’ secondary needs its biggest playmaker.
Isaiah Rodgers
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
If you’ve been following this offseason, you already know the love we have for Rodgers and his potential. Coming off of a quietly strong season in 2021, the former sixth-round pick is ready to take off in his third season.
Rodgers is coming off of a strong outing in the spring where he started his position battle with Brandon Facyson for the No. 3 cornerback role. The UMass product continues to ascend up the depth chart and could take on a bigger role in 2022.
Brandon Facyson
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
One of the first outside free agents to sign with the Colts this offseason, Facyson will be competing with the aforementioned Rodgers for the No. 3 role in the cornerback room. At worst, he or Rodgers will be the No. 4 player on the depth chart.
Facyson also had himself a strong showing in the spring practices, which is vital considering he has the most experience working in Gus Bradley’s defense. The 27-year-old has been with Bradley every season since 2018. Facyson is a solid depth piece regardless of whether he wins the camp battle with Rodgers and should hold a value rotational role at the very least.
Tony Brown
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This is where the room gets crowded. The first four players on this list are locks to make the roster, which means the remaining players will be competing for the final two spots. We’ll start with Brown, who joined the Colts before free agency officially started.
Brown was an undrafted free agent in 2018 but does come from Alabama, which has produced several starting-caliber cornerbacks. He’s extremely fast, having run a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
Marvell Tell III
Syndication: Indianapolis
Hopes were high for Tell following his rookie season in 2019 but he missed the entire 2020 campaign due to his decision to become a COVID-19 opt-out. That time off didn’t do the former fifth-round pick any favors when it came to his standing on the roster, and he spent the entirety of the season on the practice squad.
There is still upside for Tell to earn a roster spot under the new defensive regime, but he’s going to have to fight for a role. The competition is pretty stiff when it comes to those final two spots, and Tell will be right in the thick of it when camp arrives next week.
Anthony Chesley
AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn
Chesley is back with the Colts for another season after spending the majority of the 2021 campaign either on the practice squad or as a depth piece on the active roster. He appeared in nine games but most of his work was done on special teams. He’ll be vying for the final spot in the room as he enters his second season with the Colts.
Rodney Thomas II
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An Ivy League product, Thomas was a seventh-round pick with the Colts during the 2022 NFL draft. Thomas is an exceptional athlete who displayed immense versatility throughout his college career at Yale. He lined up at both linebacker and safety for the Bulldogs.
There will be a pretty steep learning curve for Thomas, but the Colts are clearly enamored by his versatility and elite athleticism. Whether that will be enough to keep him on the active roster remains to be seen.
Dallis Flowers
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
An undrafted rookie free agent out of the Division-II Pittsburg State, Flowers will be an interesting player to watch during training camp. He’s a solid athlete even if he is an older prospect. He could force his way onto the practice squad if he doesn’t make through the mucky competition for the final two spots in the cornerback room.
Alexander Myres
AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
Myres signed a futures deal with the Colts this offseason. He’s bounced around to plenty of practice squads across the NFL since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019. It’s going to be difficult for him to crack the roster, but the Colts may see something they’re intrigued with.
Chris Wilcox
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A BYU product, Wilcox was a seventh-round pick with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2021 NFL draft. The Colts obviously liked him because they claimed him off waivers from the Bucs during roster cuts in September. He spent the season on the practice squad and signed a futures deal this offseason.
Will Redmond
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A former third-round pick with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, Redmond spent the final few weeks of the 2021 regular season on the Colts practice squad. He then signed a futures deal with the team this offseason. Redmond has appeared in 34 career games but has yet to record an interception.
Marcel Dabo
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
It’s almost a near-lock that Dabo won’t make the active roster to begin the season. If he does, it would be a major surprise. The Colts got Dabo through the International Player Pathway program this offseason. It isn’t clear if Dabo will be a cornerback or a safety, but the Colts are starting him out at the former position. Dabo is an elite athlete coming over from Germany and will be someone to watch develop on the practice squad.
