Projecting Colts cornerback depth chart after Stephon Gilmore trade
Now that the Indianapolis Colts have traded away star cornerback Stephon Gilmore, what will the team’s cornerback depth chart look like?
The Indianapolis Colts pulled quite the move this week, trading superstar cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys. Who in the world saw this coming? With the Colts looking to re-tool for the future, it's clear that the front office decided now was the best time to move forward without Gilmore.
Now that the All-Pro defensive back is out of town, it's going to be on the younger guys on the roster to step up in the cornerbacks room. So, which guys will be expected to take on bigger roles for new head coach Shane Steichen?
Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys❗️
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 14, 2023
Cowboys are trading a fifth-round pick for the 5-time Pro Bowl CB, per @TomPelissero and @RapSheet pic.twitter.com/tls0tXCztS
Isaiah Rodgers will need to step his game up next season
For starters, look for fourth-year cornerback Isaiah Rodgers to step his game up in 2023. This past season, the 5-foot-10, 170-pounder appeared in 15 games for Indy, making nine starts. Now that Gilmore is on his way to Big D, Rodgers will (for now) start for the Colts on the outside along with Dallis Flowers.
Don't forget about Kenny Moore, who is also a great slot cornerback. However, in addition to sending Gilmore to the NFC East, the Colts also lost cornerback Brandon Facyson, who signed a new deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Behind Rodgers, Flowers and Moore, there isn't a ton of depth for the Colts CBs room, as Darrel Baker, David Vereen and Kevin Toliver are the only other cornerbacks listed on the roster. With so much change in the past few weeks, this is surely something general manager Chris Ballard will need to address in both free agency and the NFL Draft.
One player of intrigue for the second round at No. 35 overall would be Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo. If he's still available, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder could be an option for the Colts if he's still on the board. Regardless of if Ringo is there or not, Indy will be working overtime to address the depth at CB - it's clearly needed.
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