The Indianapolis Colts continued Day 2 of the NFL draft on the defensive side of the ball after selecting Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley with the No. 80 overall slot in the third round.
The choice of adding a cornerback this early in the draft is confusing. Indianapolis still needs a starting right guard and a linebacker next to Zaire Franklin. Walley is a depth add to the cornerback room that could have been addressed on Day 3.
As far as what the Colts are getting in Walley is a cornerback prospect that has plenty of experience after being a four-year starter for the Golden Gophers. He was an outside cornerback, but does project to slide inside to the slot due to his size (five-foot-10, 190 pounds, 30 ¾-inch arms).
While he might end up being a nickel corner, his ability to play on the outside does give defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo some flexibility to deal with any potential injuries.
Where he excels on the field is his ability to mirror receivers’ routes, and he has good ball skills. He registered seven interceptions and 27 passes defended during his time at Minnesota.
The major question is when will he make an impact for Indianapolis? Charvarius Ward and Jaylon Jones enter the preseason as the starting boundary cornerbacks with JuJu Brents and Samuel Womack III as depth options.
Starting nickel corner Kenny Moore II is under contract through the 2026 season, so the hope would be that he will develop to take over that role in Year 3.
This selection gets a low grade from me because the Colts passed on potential starters at the right guard and linebacker spots on the depth chart for a cornerback that might not see much action as a rookie.
Grade: C-
MORE NFL NEWS