The Indianapolis Colts completed the 2023 NFL Draft and, by all accounts, came away with a strong haul. Maybe one of the bigger surprises, not the selection of the team’s franchise quarterback, was the selection of hometown kid Julius Brents. He played high school ball at Warren Central, one of the prominent football schools in the state.
After graduating high school, “JuJu” chose to attend Iowa, where he’d play for two years before transferring to Kansas State. His last season saw him earn first-team all-Big 12 honors with a team-leading four interceptions, 45 tackles, 3.5 TFL, and four pass breakups. Needless to say, he had a remarkable final year in college.
Now, Brents brings his talents from Manhattan to Indianapolis, where he’ll be in a tough competition for the starting outside cornerback spot. The Colts drafted two other rookie cornerbacks, Jaylon Jones, and Darius Rush, hoping one can be a starter this year. And possibly all three could be starters in the future.
Types of corners for Gus Bradley’s Cover-3
Brents has ideal size and length for the cornerback position in Gus Bradley’s defense. It’s no secret that Bradley covets height (6-foot-3), length (34” arm), and short-area quickness (1.57 10-yard split). Another thing a cornerback needs to have is the ability to tackle, and as evidenced by Brents’ final collegiate season, he can do that just fine.
Only three times in Bradley’s history as a defensive coordinator or head coach has he started a cornerback that was under 5-foot-11. And that was Josh Wilson, back in Bradley’s first year as a defensive coordinator in 2009, Chris Harris Jr, and Desmond King. This is notable because not only is Isaiah Rodgers 5-foot-10 and a projected starter but also because he wasn’t drafted by Bradley, and Rodgers’ contract is up after this season.
It’s possible that these three rookie cornerbacks are not only competing to earn the starting spot this season but also competing to be a starter next year as well.
Again, Brents has the ideal size for Bradley’s Cover-3 defense. In fact, if Brents earns the starting job, he will be the second-tallest cornerback to start for Bradley. The only other corner that was taller was Brandon Browner (6-foot-4). Richard Sherman is the same height as Brents.
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Projecting Julius Brents’ success in Bradley’s defense
Speaking of Sherman, Brents actually compares similarly in size. As previously stated, they are both the same height and have similar arms, hands, and weight coming out of college and both had similar results at the NFL Combine.
| 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad Jump | 3-cone drill | 20-yard shuttle | |
| Richard Sherman | 4.6 | 1.61 | 38” | 10’5” | 6.82 | 4.33 |
| Julius Brents | 4.53 | 1.57 | 41.5” | 11’6” | 6.63 | 4.05 |
Even some of the weaknesses in their scouting reports are similar. Neither has elite speed and could lose any “foot race.” Also, both can be faked out of position. Does this mean anything for Brents’s success? Nothing more than he has the necessary tools to succeed in Bradley’s Cover-3 system.
Then there’s the thinking that while Brents can be a good starting cornerback, his best position in the NFL may actually be at safety. This, too, would be somewhat similar to Sherman. He also changed positions to succeed in the NFL. Sherman was a converted wide receiver in his final year in college.
Brents has the size and demeanor to play safety at the NFL level, at least that’s the thinking. Whether the Colts decide to move him will have a lot to do with the team’s personnel decisions over the course of this season. If Brents excels at cornerback, then it would be foolish to move him.
However, if his play is adequate, but the play from Rush and Jones is better, then it could make some sense. Especially, if the Colts decide not to extend/re-sign Julian Blackmon and/or Nick Cross doesn’t progress the way the team was hoping. But for now, Brents will be focusing on earning a starting spot as an outside cornerback for the Colts.
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