Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II has made a name for himself in the secondary thanks to his versatility and impact throughout various roles in the defense.
Moore, who is mainly a slot cornerback for the Colts, is legitimately one of the best at the position in the entire league. But he still may not get enough credit for the work he does as the nickel cornerback.
In an interview with Cam DaSilva of OSDB Sports and Rams Wire, Moore made it clear that the league needs to stop overlooking the slot position and lumping it into the same category as boundary cornerbacks.
“I just think all positions should be looked at fairly,” Moore told DaSilva in a phone interview. “Just having the nickel position not a position for the Pro Bowl. That’s pretty much putting the position behind the curve, so you’re not really appreciating the talent and expertise of guys who really are playing at a high level.”
Part of the reason Moore may not have the type of recognition he deserves stems from the fact that league puts slot cornerbacks and boundary cornerbacks in the same group for Pro Bowl voting.
This leads to a misconception regarding talent levels, especially since boundary cornerbacks have bigger name appeal and recognition.
“They throw all the nickel cornerbacks, the slot cornerbacks in the same bowl as outside corners and it’s like, no, you have it all wrong. We aren’t the same. It’s even different because in my defense and the defense I’m part of, I’m thankful to be able to play outside corner, as well as inside corner,” Moore said. “But I feel like people underrate me and underrate everything that I pride myself on as far as being a ball player and putting the work in each day to narrowing everything I do down to just a slot cornerback. Like, no, I play outside corner too.”
Moore has been one of—if not the—best slot defenders in the league over the last few years. He’s a swiss-army knife in the defense, holding various roles from coverage to blitzing.
Moore also feels as though the slot position doesn’t get enough credit in its own right for how difficult it can be and how it is simply much more than ability.
“If it was about ability, anybody would be able to play that because every team has a pretty good corner just off ability, or multiple,” said Moore. “But when you add in the knowledge and getting your teammates in the right position and making checks pre-snap and making other’s checks post-snap, I don’t think people really realize how smart you have to be to play the nickel position on defense.”
The Colts certainly value Moore’s talent and impact. It’s why they made him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the NFL at the time of his extension.
But that isn’t keeping Moore from wanting the league and fans to recognize the slot position for what it truly is.
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