The Indianapolis Colts have been left with a significant void at one of their starting cornerback spots thanks to the Isaiah Rodgers suspension and the trading away of Stephon Gilmore.
To be fair, the Gilmore trade happened way before the Rodgers suspension (and release). And it’s been reported that general manager Chris Ballard was unaware of the gambling investigation of Rodgers until that news report broke. It’s hard to know if Ballard would still have made that deal knowing Rodgers was under investigation.
Regardless, this Colts team is left with veteran slot man Kenny Moore as their most experienced cornerback. In the end, one of this year’s rookie cornerbacks could most likely be a starter opposite a current veteran teammate. That is if the team doesn’t go out and sign a current free agent.
Before talking about possible free-agent signings, we need to look at the type of cornerback defensive coordinator Gus Bradley likes. In looking at the 18 cornerbacks that have been drafted (including this year’s draft selections) when Bradley was either a head coach or defensive coordinator, we see some commonalities.
| Height | weight | hands | Arm length | 40-time | 10-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | 3-cone drill | 20-yard shuttle | Bench press |
| 6’ | 196.5 | 9 1/2” | 32” | 4.48 | 1.55 | 38” | 10’ 5” | 6.78 | 4.19 | 17 |
When you look at these numbers and then compare them to the Colts’ rookies, their selections are even more obvious.
| Name | Height | Weight | Hand Size | Arm Length | 40-time | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-Cone Drill | 20-Yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| Julius Brents | 6’3” | 198 | 9 5/8” | 34” | 4.53 | 1.57 | 41.5” | 11’6” | 6.63 | 4.05 | n/a |
| Jaylon Jones | 6’2” | 200 | 9” | 30 3/4” | 4.57 | 1.48 | 38” | 10’2” | 6.88 | 4.3 | 14 |
| Darius Rush | 6’2” | 198 | 9 1/2” | 33 3/8” | 4.36 | 1.51 | 35” | 10’1” | n/a | n/a | n/a |
And just for some more comparison to some notable past cornerbacks under Bradley.
| Name | Height | Weight | Hand Size | Arm Length | 40-time | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-Cone Drill | 20-Yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| Richard Sherman | 6’3” | 195 | 9 3/4“ | 32” | 4.6 | 1.61 | 38” | 10’5” | 6.82 | 4.33 | 16 |
| Jalen Ramsey | 6’1” | 209 | 9 1/2“ | 33 3/8“ | 4.41 | 1.52 | 41.5” | 11’3” | 6.94 | 4.18 | 14 |
| Shaquill Griffin | 6’0” | 194 | 8 3/4“ | 32 3/8“ | 4.38 | 1.5 | 38.5” | 11’ | 6.87 | 4.14 | 17 |
| Byron Maxwell | 6’0” | 202 | 9 1/2“ | 33 1/2“ | 4.52 | 1.58 | 33” | 10’4” | n/a | n/a | 24 |
Now that we’ve seen the average measurements, along with the most recent and past draft selections of cornerbacks, it’s more than adequate to know what are the measurables that are needed for players to succeed in Bradley’s version of the Cover-3 defense. Here are five available cornerbacks that would fit the requirements.
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Casey Hayward
| Height | Weight | Hand Size | Arm Length | 40-time | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-cone Drill | 20-yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| 5’11” | 185 | 9″ | 30 1/4″ | 4.57 | 1.62 | 34″ | 9’11” | 6.76 | 3.9 | 19 |
Casey Hayward may not check off all the pre-requisite boxes like some of the cornerbacks we’ve seen listed. However, he does have experience playing for Bradley. Both of them were together for a combined five seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. While Hayward is on the older side, at age 33, his signing wouldn’t entirely be about his play on the field.
Yes, the Colts would like him to have a bounce-back season from his injury-plagued 2022. It sounds familiar to the signing of Gilmore. Regardless, Hayward needs to provide veteran leadership and mentorship to this young and inexperienced cornerback group while also being a reliable starter for the team for at least one season.
Ronald Darby
| Height | Weight | Hand Size | Arm Length | 40-time | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-cone Drill | 20-yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| 5’11” | 193 | 8 5/8“ | 31 3/8“ | 4.38 | 1.53 | 41.5” | 10’9” | 6.94 | 4.14 | 12 |
Ronald Darby is similar to Hayward in that he doesn’t check off all of the boxes. However, Darby is a little bit heavier and much faster than Hayward. And speed is something that all cornerbacks need. That’s especially true when they need to close on routes.
Now, something else that is required in this defense is tackling. In Darby’s eight-year career, he has an average of 11.2% missed tackles.
Related: Indianapolis Colts standing in Sportsnaut’s updated NFL power rankings
Marcus Peters
| Height | Weight | Hand Size | Arm Length | 40-time | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-cone Drill | 20-yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| 6’0” | 197 | 8 3/8“ | 31 1/2“ | 4.53 | 1.6 | 37.5” | 10’1” | 7.08 | 4.08 | 17 |
Similar to Darby, Marcus Peters is also coming off an ACL injury. A key difference is Peters is now two years removed from his while Darby was last season. Regardless, Peters has a past pedigree of high-level play. And the fact that he hasn’t signed yet could be advantageous for the horseshoe.
The word is that Peters is wanting a deal of his pedigree while not factoring in age, injury, and poor performance. Considering the Colts, in theory, would only need Peters for one year it might be smart of them to pay him what he wants on a one-year prove-it style of deal.
Eli Apple
| Height | Weight | Hand Size | Arm Length | 40-time | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-cone Drill | 20-yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| 6’1” | 199 | 9 3/8“ | 31 3/8“ | 4.4 | 1.47 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 13 |
Eli Apple is a player whose career has gone the opposite of how it should. He was productive and thought to be an ascending player after his first two seasons with the New York Giants. Then, he was traded to New Orleans after five games in the 2018 season. The move, initially, appeared to get his career back on track. Until the following season when it fell off again. After that, it hasn’t gotten back to where it was previously.
Although, his play was a big reason why Cincinnati made their run to the Super Bowl just two seasons ago. While his play may leave a lot to be desired, the Colts could use an NFL veteran to start at one of their outside corner positions. Apple fits that bill, along with checking a lot of applicable boxes for Bradley’s defense. And if Apple can succeed, he’s young enough still that he could fit in with this, hopefully, ascending team.
Byron Jones
| Height | Weight | Hand Size | Arm Length | 40-time | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-cone Drill | 20-yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| 6’1” | 199 | 10” | 32” | n/a | n/a | 44.5” | 12’3” | 6.78 | 3.94 | n/a |
Saving the best for last with Byron Jones. As you can see, he checks almost all of the boxes to be a Gus Bradley cornerback. He also comes with seven years of NFL experience with the bonus of some versatility. As he initially played his first three seasons as a free safety for Dallas. Unfortunately, there are some major red flags to accompany Jones.
First off, he’s 30 years old so he’s closer to retirement than his prime. In speaking of retirement, there is some ambiguity on that topic. He last played football in 2021 after having surgery on his Achilles tendon.
Last March, he had surgery to address Achilles and ankle issues. He also put out this tweet that makes it appear as though his career is over. However, he is not retiring. So, it’s hard what to make out of all of this. If he can play, he could be a very good fit for the Colts.