Last summer, the idea that 2025 might be Kenny Moore’s final season with the Indianapolis Colts wasn’t exactly far-fetched. The veteran was signed through the 2026 season, but when general manager Chris Ballard chose Justin Walley in the third round of the 2025 draft, the writing was on the wall. When Walley thrived in mini-camps and summer workouts, that writing grew bolder.
Then, on August 5, Walley tore his ACL and was lost for the season. With lingering hamstring injuries plaguing fellow cornerbacks JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones, the Colts secondary was thrown into crisis mode. Any thoughts of Kenny Moore’s eventual departure were instantly erased.
But, as all Colts’ fans know by now, 2025 did prove to be Moore’s final season. Eight years and 106 starts. Now gone. Ballard released Moore on Thursday when he was unable to find a trade partner for the veteran. He is now free to sign with any team in the league, and there has already been plenty of interest from multiple sources.
As for Justin Walley, it is now his turn to step into the spotlight.
After missing his rookie season, Justin Walley must hit the ground running for the Indianapolis Colts in 2026
A few days before the injury that ended his rookie campaign, veteran Colts reporter Noah Compton quoted defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo saying the following about his star rookie: "His energy level, competitive spirit – everything about him is what we want. He embodies it. He’s smart, too. Learning both inside and outside.”
That last part is the key. Even had he stayed healthy and earned a starting spot last season, displacing Moore was a long shot. The more likely scenario would have him on the perimeter, where Jones and the oft-injured Brents figured to be in contention.
As it turned out, Jones struggled with that hamstring for the early part of the year, and Brents was a surprise cut when Ballard chose his final 53.
Ballard scrounged around for cornerback help throughout the year, trading for Mekhi Blackmon just before the season, bringing in veteran Mike Hilton, bringing back Chris Lammons, and elevating several young, unproven prospects from the practice squad throughout the year. It culminated with the blockbuster deal for Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline.
With Gardner and Charvarius Ward on the outside and Moore no longer with the club, the slot corner position is wide open for Walley. Ballard did not draft a corner this year. He has yet to sign one as an undrafted free agent. He did acquire Cam Taylor-Britt, who played for Anarumo in Cincinnati.
Both Taylor-Britt and Blackmon could get looks in the slot. Physically, both appear to have the requisite tools. But neither has actually played inside very much. For his career, Taylor-Britt has lined up as a perimeter corner more than 2,000 times. He has been in the slot fewer than 200 times. The same goes for Blackmon. More than 1,000 snaps outside. Fewer than 100 in the slot.
This is clearly Justin Walley’s job to lose. Making an early clean break with Moore certainly indicates that the enthusiasm Anarumo showed for him last season has not waned. And that reference to “learning both inside and outside” may provide a clue about the Colts defensive plans for the future.
Mike Macdonald just won a Super Bowl in Seattle with four of the most versatile defensive backs in the NFL. Devon Witherspoon is an elite corner who can play anywhere in the defensive backfield. Nick Emmanwori is an elite athlete who can literally line up anywhere on a defense. Julian Love and Coby Bryant are safeties with cornerback cover skills.
Bryant left this offseason, as did another cornerback, Riq Woolen. General manager John Schneider responded by choosing three cornerbacks and one safety in the 2026 draft. Several of them have the athletic versatility to play multiple roles.
Look for Walley to begin in the slot, but don’t be surprised if Anarumo begins shifting him around. It will most likely come down to how quickly the young player can adapt to the challenge. Gardner and Ward are elite perimeter corners, but neither is going to shift around or blitz often.
Walley, on the other hand, may be the first step toward a more versatile, fluid defense. Ballard also grabbed safety AJ Haulcy in this year’s draft. He isn’t nearly the athlete that Nick Emmanwori is (few in the entire NFL are).
But he has the size to play in the box and the instincts to play deep zones. If he adjusts to the pro game quickly, he could be an upgrade over Nick Cross – providing equally strong run support and improved pass coverage.
And in new linebacker CJ Allen, Indianapolis has one of the most well-rounded, athletically versatile central defenders entering the league this year. Though he is probably going to be stationed in the middle of things all season, Allen can attack the backfield, patrol the line across the field, or drop into coverage at any moment.
Walley, Haulcy, and Allen obviously represent a transition to a new back seven. There’s a good chance that none of the starting LBs and DBs on opening day, 2026, were with the club before the 2025 season.
But Walley and Allen, and to a lesser extent Haulcy, represent a change beyond a standard more toward younger players. They represent a new philosophy – one that values athleticism and versatility. It should provide Lou Anarumo with far more options to attack and confuse opposing offenses.
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