Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo came away impressed by rookies CJ Allen and AJ Haulcy in his first look at the Colts' first two draft picks over the last couple weeks.
CJ Allen, who the Colts selected at pick No. 53 from Georgia, was the defensive messenger during his time in Athens. While his potential role as the green dot guy is still up in the air, Anarumo has been encouraged by Allen's progress.
"He's in here every day super early, getting worked on and has a full practice," he said Wednesday. "It's always a work in progress for the young guys, but he's done a good job."
Third-round pick AJ Haulcy out of LSU adds even more depth to a safety room that already includes Cam Bynum, Jonathan Owens, Juanyeh Thomas and Hunter Wohler.
"We're job swapping a whole bunch of different techniques," Anarumo said. "I think the more guys we have that can do certain things, the better."
Over the last couple of years, teams have played three-safety defense more frequently, which allows for more versatile coverages to be deployed. The Baltimore Ravens have used the trio of Alohi Gilman, Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks in the secondary at the same time often, with Hamilton widely regarded as one of the best in the league at the position. With Haulcy adding to the depth of the safety room, the door is open for Anarumo to tap into that scheme.
Haulcy, who describes himself as a "ballhawk," has already exceeded every expectation Anarumo had.
"He has a really good feel for subtleties of the game that maybe a guy as a rookie doesn't have," he said. "I'm excited about where his upside can go."
Most rookies will make mistakes as they adjust to the league. Coaches value players who don't make the same mistake twice, and Haulcy fits that bill.
"In terms of picking things up, he's not a repeat offender," Anarumo said. "He gets football."
Bynum, who is entering his second season with the Colts, has noticed the same thing in the rookie, even though he may not be operating like one.
"I'm able to get a lot of knowledge from him and vice versa," Bynum said. "He's been doing a really good job filling in and rotating. He's operating like a vet."
