The theme of the Colts' cornerback room has been, since training camp, "next man up." It's a room that has been continually revolving, unable to escape injuries, with the most recent blow coming when nine-year veteran and Pro Bowler Kenny Moore II sustained an Achilles injury in the Colts' Week 3 game against the Tennessee Titans.
With Moore out for an undetermined amount of time, the Colts are turning to some new faces to fill the gap in the secondary.
"One of the pillars of the defense," defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Tuesday about Moore. "Veteran guy that's been around here forever and has played the slot position as good as anybody in the league. So, you're obviously going to take a hit when you lose a guy like that, but that's the NFL. Everybody deals with injuries along the way and it's a little bit of a cliche, it's the next-man-up mentality, but that's just what it has to be. Again, I have utmost faith in our coaches to get the guys ready, and the guys that are going to step up and do a good job for us on Sunday."
In signing eight-year veteran Mike Hilton to the practice squad earlier this week, the Colts brought in an experienced and established veteran who already has four years of experience playing for Lou Anarumo, as the two were both with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2021-2024. Hilton has been one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL in recent years and was the best blitzing cornerback in the league under Anarumo in Cincinnati. Despite getting a limited preseason as a member of the Miami Dolphins, playing 20 snaps in two preseason games, Hilton said Wednesday he expects to play this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
"Obviously I might not play every snap, but I expect to play a good bit," Hilton said.
Another cornerback you're likely to see in Moore's place on Sunday is Mekhi Blackmon. The Colts acquired Blackmon in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings in August, and he has already played a total of 113 snaps (out of 176 total) through the first three games of the season. Blackmon has mainly played as an outside cornerback, but he did register 19 snaps lined up as a slot cornerback against the Titans, 16 of which came after Moore left the game. Blackmon has played 24 total snaps lined up in the slot so far this season.
Blackmon missed the entire 2024 season due to an torn ACL sustained in training camp last July. In 2023, he appeared in 15 games (three starts) for the Vikings as a rookie, recording seven pass break-ups and one interception with 41 tackles, three tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery. He earned a 71.8 Pro Football Focus coverage grade in 2023, the third-highest for a rookie that season (with a minimum of 200 coverage snaps).
"He's done a little bit of both," head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday. "He's a feisty player, physical. So, we'll see where that goes too as well but really like where he's at."
Undrafted rookie free agent Johnathan Edwards could also see some more time on the field; he was active for the Colts' Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos and played eight snaps against the Titans, all coming after Moore was ruled out of the game.
The Colts will also be able to rely on Charvarius Ward Sr. and safety Cam Bynum to continue making big plays in the secondary. Bynum already has two interceptions this season, and Ward has already shown his ability to lock down receivers, most recently holding Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley to one catch for 27 yards (his career average is 4.6 catches per game).
"He's got every trait you want as a premier corner," Anarumo said of Ward. "He's got great length. He can run. He can catch. He's got great ball skills. He's tough. He's smart. So, he's a high-level player and when you have a high-level player on your group, when he's out there playing, he really affects the game."
Thursday's practice report:
