The Indianapolis Colts bolstered their secondary this offseason with key signings of cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Camryn Bynum. Already on the roster is former Pro Bowl corner Kenny Moore, who will be the team’s nickel cornerback.
Third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Justin Walley, suffered a torn ACL and will miss his rookie season. JuJu Brents has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, playing in only 11 games so far. Third-year corner Jaylon Jones suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of practice during the preseason.
Needing to address injuries in the secondary, the Colts signed a former two-time All-Pro to bring experience and leadership to the defense.
Indy signed cornerback Xavien Howard, who was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Miami Dolphins, to reinforce the cornerback spot after the team became riddled with injuries in training camp. Howard did not play in the 2024 season as he was recovering from a Lisfranc injury.
With Howard’s addition to the cornerback room, new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo shared his expectations for the former Dolphin.
Lou Anarumo On His New Cornerback
GettyIndianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo
Xavien Howard, who turned 32 in the summer, has recorded 29 interceptions and 95 pass breakups throughout his career. Joining the Colts, Howard will be one of the most experienced players in the secondary.
The cornerback is currently listed as a starter on the Colts’ unofficial depth chart before the week 1 matchup against the Dolphins.
Not having a training camp and being in the scheme for a few weeks, a reporter asked Lou Anarumo about the possibility of Howard getting starter snaps immediately.
“We’ll see how it goes, Anarumo said. “I think that he came in in great shape and been away from the game for a year. You can look at that two different ways.”
“A veteran guy who gave his legs a year off and then got back into it now. And has been through basically three weeks of training camp and a week of game prep coming up. So, we’ll see how it goes. We’ve got a bunch of able bodies there at that position, so we’ll play it by ear.”
Cornerback Depth Chart
GettyIndianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones
While Xavien Howard has the experience, being one of the best cornerbacks in the league at one point in his career, being in a new scheme could prevent him from receiving a good portion of snaps during the season opener.
Despite the Colts having a new DC, some players on the defense had the training camp and were able to learn Anarumo’s defense, giving them the advantage heading into week 1.
Being placed as a starter on the unofficial depth chart reveals that Howard has impressed the coaching staff in a short time with the team.
Whether he gets snaps as a starter or as a rotation player, Howard will be a key part of the Colts‘ secondary this season.
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