A critical position just got thinner.
Coming into the season, cornerback was a huge area of need for the Indianapolis Colts. Charvarius Ward signed in free agency as one of Chris Ballard’s biggest splashes to help address that hole, and the consensus is that he should be a very nice upgrade for that unit. With the number one spot filled, the fight to take over the number two role is taking center stage at camp. The rotation of Jaylon Jones, JuJu Brents, and Justin Walley took a major hit, however, as two out of the three sustained hamstring injuries that are now causing them to miss time.
Jones sustained a non-contact injury which can be devastating news, although reports are that it is not expected to be season ending which provides a sigh of relief. Rising to starter in year two, Jones has been durable, so an injury for him is certainly uncommon. The same cannot be said for Brents. His injuries are well documented, but to see him go down with yet another leg injury is crushing. Neither man is being reported as sidelined indefinitely, but seeing Brents miss any time is truly disappointing. He needs as many snaps, exposure, and good luck as he can get. At this point, the fear is that the injuries will start to get into his head and cause self doubt that he can remain healthy.
They say, “two out of three ain’t bad,” but in this case, that might only be true for Walley. A rookie out of Minnesota, Walley now has an opportunity to make some noise. Described as a reach by some when the Colts selected him in the third round of this year’s draft, Walley has turned in an impressive camp to date. Jones will still have the inside track as last year’s starter, and Brents has more experience. There is a chance that Walley could take the spot over and make it extremely difficult to take away. At worst, he could cement himself as a viable backup so that when the time comes, Lou Anarumo looks to him to fill a vacant spot should it arise.
Injuries are the story of spots. They can ruin careers and make them. Colts nation is wishing a speedy recovery to both Jones and Brents as depth at this position will be crucial. Luckily, it sounds like both men avoided serious injuries and should be back at some point. In the meantime, it could be the Justin Walley show. Take the opportunity to thrive in that role, and the second starting cornerback position could be filled by a dark horse candidate to kick of the season.