After trading Stephon Gilmore, addressing the cornerback position is a priority for the Indianapolis Colts. Here are three prospects Indy could draft.
Last season, the Indianapolis Colts were lucky to have one of the best cornerbacks in football: Stephon Gilmore. Indy signed Gilmore to a two-year deal last offseason so he could help the team contend for a title. Gilmore showed up as the elite cornerback that he is and delivered, unfortunately, the Colts didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.
Gilmore played quality football all season, making several winning plays, but Indy was just an underwhelming 4-12-1. So, with one season left on his deal, Indianapolis traded Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys, a team that’s expected to be a contender next season. The Colts, on the other hand, now have a cornerback room that lacks depth and is in desperate need of help.
That help should come in the 2023 NFL Draft. This is a pretty good group of defensive backs in the draft, and Indy should be able to get one of them. Here are three corners that Indianapolis can draft to replace Stephon Gilmore.
3. Colts can draft Christian Gonzalez
This option is the most unlikely, because Christian Gonzalez is the best cornerback in the draft, and is a lock for the first round. Indianapolis only has one first-round pick, No. 4, and that’s expected to be used on a quarterback. However, everyone isn’t entirely sold that the Colts will select a quarterback with the fourth-overall pick.
If Indy does make the shocking decision to go in a different direction than QB, Christian Gonzalez seems like a likely option. Cornerback is one of Indy’s biggest needs, and Gonzalez is the best of the best in this draft class.
Christian Gonzalez played his first two seasons in college at Colorado, before transferring to Oregon in 2022. Through all three of his seasons combined, Gonzalez has four interceptions, seven pass deflections, and 128 tackles. The 6-foot-1, 197-pound corner is smooth and athletic, and expected to be a day-one starter.
2. Colts can draft Kelee Ringo
Kelee Ringo is a more realistic option for Indianapolis. After initially being considered a first rounder, the expectation is now that Ringo will go somewhere late in the first round or early in the second round. Since the Colts have the No. 35 pick, they could select a quarterback in the first round, and then draft Ringo early in the second.
Ringo is coming off of two strong seasons at Georgia. After redshirting his first year, he exploded onto the scene in 2022 with the Bulldogs’ vaunted defense. Putting together back-to-back solid seasons as a corner, Ringo set himself up to be one of the top defensive backs in the 2023 Draft class.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Ringo measured in at 6-foot-2 and weighed in at 207 pounds. At that size, he was able to clock a 4.36 40-yard dash and recorded a 33.5-inch vertical. He proved that’s he’s an athlete, now it’s up to teams to go back and study the film and decide if he’s the right cornerback for their team and system.
Could that be in Indianapolis? Absolutely. Ringo’s projection is in the range of Indy’s second-round pick and he address one of the team’s biggest needs. If drafted by Indy, Ringo would have the chance to come in and be an immediate impact player.
1 . Colts can draft Julius Brents
Julius Brents is another likely option for Indianapolis, as he’s also expected to be drafted early in the second round. If Brents is selected by Indianapolis, it would be a great story, since Brents is an Indianapolis native and attended Warren Central high school.
Brents left Indianapolis to go to Iowa, before ultimately transferring to Kansas State, where he starred as a corner. Spending two seasons at each school, Brent’s played 34 total games in college and recorded six interceptions, 10 pass deflections, and 111 tackles.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Brent’s measured in at 6-foot-3, and weighed in at 198 pounds. While he’s a bigger corner, he can still move well, running his 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, recording a 41.5 inch vertical, and jumping 11 feet and six inches in the broad jump.
The Colts have already been showing interest in Brents, hosting him for a visit and for Indy’s local pro day. It’s possible that Indianapolis could already have Brents atop their cornerback board to select in the second round.