Training camp for the Indianapolis Colts is coming up soon, and while the most attention is being paid to the battle between quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, there might be another one worth paying attention to.
One of the biggest moves the Colts made in the offseason was to sign cornerback Charvarius Ward, easily one of the best CBs in the league. Ward is a is a Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowler, and he will absolutely elevate the Colts defense. That signing wasn't much of a warning to the existing Colts CBs... but drafting Justin Walley was. And a pair of Colts analysts think this could be the battle to watch during training camp.
SI's Jake Arthur and Zach Hicks think Jaylon Jones could ultimately be replaced by Walley - maybe not right away, but with time, as Walley is exactly the kind of explosive, aggressive playmaker new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo likes.
"I do think Jaylon Jones wins this battle. I don't think that Walley's going to somehow win this one, at least early in the season, but I think it's closer than what many would expect," Hicks began. "Jones is a very solid young corner who's only getting better. But Walley, at least to me and Jake, you can put water on this. If you want, it feels like they're looking for any excuse to get Walley out there. I think this coaching staff loves him, and I think he fits everything they're looking for and measurable-wise, he's almost exactly the same player as Cam Taylor-Britt, who Lou Anarumo threw to the wolves early and often with the Bengals... one of the only young players he ever threw to the wolves with the Bengals. So, I wouldn't be shocked if Justin Walley has a much bigger role early in the season than what many expect."
Everything Hicks says makes sense, but Jones is likely not the one to lose out if Walley is successful on the field. It's much more likely that Juju Brents could see his job on the line instead.
Brents came to Indianapolis with a lot of potential, and even now, it's not the quality of his performance that's necessarily an issue. It's that Brents has been injured so much that he's never on the field. He had to undergo knee surgery in 2024, and throughout his career so far, he's only been able to appear in a handful of games.
Jones will likely be able to hang in there at cornerback, but Brents could have a lot of trouble. He not only has to fight off Ward and Jones, but Walley and Corey Ballentine as well. If there's anyone who could lose his spot during training camp and beyond, it's not Jaylon Jones - it's Juju Brents, who will need to have the performance of his life during camp if he wants to survive.