One of the bigger needs for the Indianapolis Colts is cornerback. Here are five cornerback prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft that would be great fits for Indy.
The Indianapolis Colts' positional needs have, as expected, changed from the season's conclusion throughout free agency. With it, a position thought to be dealt with in next year's offseason has skyrocketed to the top of the needs list: cornerback. Aside from quarterback of course.
Seasoned Veteran Stephon Gilmore was traded just weeks ago to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-round pick. The former DPOY was dealt because of reasons that are twofold. The first being the biggest factor in all of this, the fact Gilmore had originally landed in Indy to join a contending team. An unforeseen rebuild had presented itself midway through the 2022 season, and now the Colts are far from Super Bowl contention.
Secondly, Gilmore's cap hit ($9.9M) was something the Indy brass felt was worth getting off the books. With it, an eventful truce has been made. Chris Ballard and Co. have honored Gilmore's initial wish(es) and now both parties are better off because of it.
Although the organization has recouped its losses from the Gilmore deal, the future is now. GM Chris Ballard and Co. will continue looking for a strong-side CB to fit DC Gus Bradley's build preferences and schematic needs.
With the NFL Draft kicking off on Thursday, April 27, I look to determine, by projected draft range, exactly who fits the new timeline at cornerback, both schematically and physically. This is by no means a prospect-fit ranking, but rather a list of five CBs who fit what Chris Ballard and Gus Bradley are looking for.
End of 1st/Top of 2nd Fringe
Cam Smith has been highly regarded as a player since High School where he ended up being the fourth-best CB in 247sports' 2019 Recruiting Class. He was a three-year starter in the SEC for the Gamecocks and quickly blossomed into a lockdown corner during his time there.
He is certainly more of a true lockdown corner as opposed to being a ballhawk. When there's a play to be made, Smith often elects to go for the more efficient swat down instead of the INT. This is intended to show that he possesses a high football IQ more than deem him to be something he's not.
Pair this calm-demeanored practice with the fact he's among the best, if not the best, man-corner in the entire class and you've got yourself a solid fit for a strong-side cornerback in Gus Bradley's defense. If the once lottery-mocked Cam Smith falls to the Colts at pick 35, you'd have to think Ballard and Bradley would be running up the draft card.
The 20-year-old cornerback is a reigning back-to-back National Champion with the Georgia Bulldogs. Kelee Ringo has been a mainstay for the Dawgs' defensive backfield during his time in Athens, GA, leading the back end of two formiddable defenses en route to historical success.
After an All-SEC Freshman nod for his freshman campaign in 2021 as a redshirt, Ringo remained the baller that he is with an All-SEC second-team spot for his efforts this past season. Ringo possesses great size, length, and speed. Where he struggles as an athlete is with the explosion and agility portions. Despite that, he has proved to be one of the best defensive backs in the entire draft class.
Ringo is a near perfect fit for a strong-side cornerback in DC Gus Bradley's scheme given he excels in zone coverage, and more specifically, as a cover 3 corner. His safety-like zone turns provide versatility as he can be moved all over the field for various pre-snap alignments.
Similarly to Cam Smith being available at pick 35, you would think the Indy brass would be pounding the table for Ringo here. With how much zone coverage is emphasized in Gus Bradley's scheme, chances are Ballard and company values Ringo a touch higher than Smith. The Colts have done their due diligence with Ringo more so than Smith this offseason, formally meeting with him at the NFL Combine while also having Chief Personnel Executive, Morroco Brown, at his pro day.
Julius Brents has to be the prospect who Colts fans are most familiar with at this point, and for good reason. The Indianapolis-native is a Warren Central high school alum and began his collegiate career at Iowa before transferring to Kansas State.
You've heard it all by now, but Brents is the perfect trifecta of big, long and fast. Despite being a bigger corner, Brents possesses great hip fluidity. He is seemingly never out of a position as his athleticism and instincts allow him to redirect and make plays.
Brents has already met with the Indy brass at the NFL Scouting Combine and for a top-30 visit, while returning to Indianapolis for the Colts local pro day, so the interest is certainly there.
Needless to say, Brents is a perfect fit for the Colts, especially for what GM Chris Ballard looks for in a prospects, as well as what DC Gus Bradley is searching for in a strong-side cornerback for his Cover 3-centric defense. The match seems like one made in heaven, so don't be surprised if you see Brents heading to Indy via the 35th pick.
Colts fans far and wide should be ecstatic if Indianapolis walks away from the draft with either of the South Carolina cornerbacks. With that being said, Darius Rush is one of the most underrated players regardless of position. The two-year starter for the Gamecocks will make any team that selects him very happy.
When it comes to production, Rush can do just a little bit of everything. He's a willing tackler who can disrupt plays from behind the line of scrimmage. This is evident by his five tackles for a loss (one of those being a sack) and one forced fumble over the course of his two years as a starter.
Rush played on the opposite side of Cam Smith so he wasn't typically lined up on the opposing offense's number one wide receiver, however, he never backed down from the challenge and more often than not came out on top in said matchups. He's certainly more of a zone coverage corner than a man-oriented one which bodes well for his hypothetical fit for DC Gus Bradley's defensive scheme.
The South Carolina stud is one who warrants understandable concern but is far more polished than evaluators give him credit for. With his combination of length and ball skills, he's worthy of a latter half Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) selection if you ask me, though Indy may be able to snag him in the early portion of Day 3.
Cory Trice Jr. may just be the best athlete you haven't heard about— until now. The Boilermaker alum is a freak athlete who battled injuries amidst his five-year collegiate career, yet showed promising flashes during his 3.5 seasons as a starter.
The Kentucky-native switched back and forth from corner to safety before eventually finding his footing as a cornerback. Regardless, Trice Jr. possesses great versatility and can be used as a swiss-army knife for as far as gameplanning goes. Pair that with his top-tier athleticism and at the very least you have yourself a great special teamer for years to come.
Trice Jr.'s stock has fluctuated from the middle rounds of Day 3 (rounds 5-6) to late Day 2, so you're not drafting him with an expectation of becoming a defensive starter early on. When it comes to expectation based on draft selection in this scenario, you should always bet on athletes. His biggest concern is that of his health, so given a healthy start to his NFL career, the sky is the limit for Trice Jr.
READ MORE: What does the ideal cornerback look like for Colts?