The Indianapolis Colts have had an interesting offseason. The team re-signed quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, but gave up a lot on defense. That includes safety Nick Cross, who signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency. His replacement might not yet be known.
That player might come in the 2026 draft, and Indy has had pre-draft visits with a couple of safeties. The most likely for the team to choose as early as the second round would be South Carolina's Jalon Kilgore, a versatile defender who defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo might be able to use in various pre-snap alignments.
While Cross was a good tackler and solid against the run, he wasn't elite in pass coverage. This, obviously, limited his overall effectiveness as a safety, as relying on him to be great deep on the field was a risky proposition. In his two years as a starter, he collected a bunch of tackles but allowed nine touchdown passes.
Indianapolis Colts might be eyeing Jalon Kilgore to replace Nick Cross
Indianapolis could use an upgrade, and that is why the team taking Kilgore in the second round would make lots of sense. The South Carolina product might be even better than Cross at stopping the run, but will almost certainly be better against the pass.
In his final two seasons in college, playing against some elite talent in the SEC, Kilgore gave up five touchdown passes, but had seven interceptions and 14 passes broken up. His quarterback rating allowed in 2025 was a great 68.1. Just 52.3 percent of the passes thrown his way were completed.
He was great against better competition for the most part, too. Against Ole Miss, for instance, he was targeted five times, but only allowed one completion for 10 yards. He also had an interception.
This might imply that Jalon Kilgore focuses a bit more in the bigger moments, and any lack of focus in the NFL can be detrimental to someone trying to earn playing time. Perhaps, understanding that most moments in the league require the highest degree of attention, Kilgore will sustain a high-end level in that aspect.
One positive part for the Indianapolis Colts is that the safety position is somewhat devalued as teams would rather spend high-round draft picks on cornerbacks. Indy is set there. General manager Chris Ballard is set up to take a second-round gem in Kilgore, if he so chooses. Lou Anarumo should be happy with the move.
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