3. D’Joun Smith: An Option at Slot Cornerback?
Last year’s 3rd round pick remains a wildcard in the Colts secondary, as 2nd-year cornerback D’Joun Smith only appeared in 4 games this past season due to a lingering knee injury.
Smith has since recovered and with Darius Butler receiving the 1st team reps at starting safety due to injuries there, the former is now running as the Colts primary slot cornerback.
While Smith struggled a bit in last year’s training camp, he’s reportedly off to a much better start with a year under his belt–even if he hasn’t actually seen the field during meaningful snaps.
It’s good news for the Colts secondary as a whole because not only does Smith provide additional depth at the cornerback position, but it gives the defense greater flexibility with opposing matchups and how they choose to deploy fellow cornerbacks such as Vontae Davis, Patrick Robinson, and even Butler ahead of him on the depth chart.
If Smith can hold his own on the field in meaningful snaps, the Colts can get a little more creative with how they choose to effectively use their cornerbacks all together by mixing and matching at the position.