The Colts added yet another new face to their cornerback room this week in signing veteran cornerback Mike Hilton to the practice squad.
The move came after Kenny Moore II sustained an Achilles injury in the Colts' Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Hilton, an eight-year NFL veteran who played under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo for four seasons (2021-2024) with the Cincinnati Bengals, signed with the Miami Dolphins at the end of July but was released about a month later – soon after, he worked out with the Colts, who told him they would give him a call if anything happened.
Following Moore's injury, the Colts quickly reached out to Hilton; he and Moore share many similar traits as nickel cornerbacks and there's already a well-established bond between him and Anarumo. Moore and Hilton are similar both in their skillsets and their stature (both are 5-foot-9), and the two of them have also built a strong relationship over the years, trading notes and picking each other's brains as they established themselves as two of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.
Moore even reached out to Hilton in January when the Colts hired Anarumo to get an idea of what to expect from the defensive coordinator.
"Yeah, same, but different," Anarumo said when asked about Moore and Hilton's similarities. "I mean, I think each of them bring a little something different to their game. They're both very, very good players. Played at a high level at the slot position for a long time. A lot of similarities to them, but again, individually, they bring something unique to the group."
Hilton's been with his new team for just a few days, but he's already started to fit in seamlessly.
"Me and Lou, we've been together for the last four years so coming here was a no-brainer," Hilton said Wednesday. "Me knowing the scheme has been an easy transition."
"He understands ball, understands his spots," linebacker Zaire Franklin said Wednesday. "I think he's definitely a great addition so we can keep this thing rolling."
Hilton said he knows the Colts expect him to come in and make plays – just like the defense has been doing through all three games so far this season – and he believes he's ready to do that right away. And when asked if he thinks he'll be ready to play this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, Hilton was confident in his answer.
"For sure. I'm gonna take this week to get my body right, get it going," he said. "Obviously I might not play every snap, but I expect to play a good bit."
Hilton participated in the Dolphins' training camp and played 20 total preseason snaps, which the Colts were able to use as they evaluated Hilton.
"Good news is, he did have a preseason somewhat at Miami," Anarumo said. "Not a ton, but at least he did some things and we'll see where he's at. We still got to evaluate him, but the good news is, Mike knows that he's done it for a long time. He's been a high-level player, so we'll see."
In 123 career games (56 starts) Hilton has 13 interceptions, 11.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 32 quarterback hits and 66 tackles for loss. In the four years he played under Anarumo, Hilton grew to be one of the most prolific blitzers in the league, leading all NFL cornerbacks with 178 blitzes from 2021-2024. He was the highest graded cornerback for run defense with a Pro Football Focus grade of 91.7.
Head coach Shane Steichen and Anarumo said they would evaluate Hilton and see how the week plays out, but the fact that he's an experienced veteran already gives him an advantage when it comes to fitting in with the rest of the defense.
"When you have a younger player, it's a little bit harder to get them ready," Anarumo said Tuesday. "But some of these vets – most of the vets, they've been in, 'Hey, you used to call it blue. Now call it white.' There's similar techniques that they can help integrate and hopefully nobody has to play 50, 60 plays. We're talking maybe a smaller amount. So, that can help us for sure."
"We'll see how he progresses this week," Steichen said. "Obviously he's got a lot of familiarity with Lou's scheme, been playing in this league for a long time. So we'll get him out there this week and see how the week goes."
Hilton will need to be elevated from the practice squad in order to play against the Rams on Sunday.
