Justin Walley was going to make a difference. There was no doubt about it.

The Colts' rookie cornerback made an impact from the very first day of training camp, as he lined up with the first-team defense and looked the part of an NFL player. Entering preseason, the Colts cornerback room was one of the deepest and most competitive groups on the team; just about everyone (with the exception of veterans Kenny Moore II and Charvarius Ward) was competing for a role in the defense, and Walley was leading the pack.

But a plague of injuries struck the room as camp went on: hamstring injuries sidelined Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents, and during the Colts' joint practice against the Baltimore Ravens Walley sustained a torn ACL and was subsequently placed on injured reserve, ending the rookie's season before it even began.

"Huge blow," head coach Shane Steichen said Thursday. "I think he was having a hell of a camp. His man coverage skills were great, he was making a ton of plays in practice too before it happened."

The question now is obvious: who will step up to fill that starting cornerback spot?

The answer is just as simple.

"Next man up," defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said Saturday. "That's this league. Nobody feels sorry for us that we lost (Walley), and you know the game's gonna come when it comes, regardless. So that's why we just gotta keep bringing the next guy along, getting him ready. The next guy's gotta step up and be big, and we expect there to be no drop off."

At this point, it seems to be anyone's job to take.

During practice on Saturday, Samuel Womack III and rookie Johnathan Edwards mainly took reps with the first team defense opposite Ward as Brents and Jones did not participate in practice. Both made impressive plays during 11-on-11 drill, as Edwards broke up a pass from Daniel Jones intended for Alec Pierce in the end zone and Womack forced an incompletion on a pass from Anthony Richardson to Michael Pittman Jr..

Womack is entering his fourth year in the NFL – and second with the Colts – and started eight games for the Colts last season. He finished the season with nine passes defensed and two interceptions in 17 games played.

"He's got some experience," Henderson said. "Got some things to clean up, but we all do. He's working hard to clean those things up, and he'll get chances to go in and play and see if he can be that reliable guy we need, just like the other guys that were behind Justin. They all get a chance to step up, and hopefully they'll play well."

Chris Lammons, who spent time on the Colts' practice squad and active roster last year and appeared in 14 games, is also firmly in the mix. And even with Brents and Jones injured, the Colts still have six cornerbacks (not including Moore and Ward) currently on their roster who are all in the hunt for a roster spot, much less a starting role.

So even though the competition in the Colts' cornerback room may look different than originally expected, make no mistake: it's still there, and it's still as intense as it can get.