Colts Must Consider Signing One of These CBs After JuJu Brents Injury

The Indianapolis Colts have shuffled their roster a bit after CB JuJu Brents' injury but may need outside help.

Indianapolis Colts General Manager Chris Ballard speaks to the media Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, the Colts Complex. / Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Indianapolis Colts are amidst figuring out a plan for their defense without second-year cornerback JuJu Brents. The former second-rounder is out for the season with a knee injury sustained during the week one contest against the Houston Texans.

Sources: #Colts promising young CB JuJu Brents is headed for Injured Reserve with a season-ending knee injury. The former second-round pick has impressed when on the field.

With the early injury, he’ll be 100% for 2025. But frustrating outcome. pic.twitter.com/TOoDuetLCP

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2024

With the Indianapolis cornerback room now led by Kenny Moore II and Jaylon Jones, the Colts might be in trouble behind those two. With unproven/shaky names like Dallis Flowers, Samuel Womack III, and Chris Lammons preparing for more cornerback snaps, Indy needs to strongly consider signing another corner for depth or spot-starter purposes.

While the market is slim, there are two names that stick out for what Indianapolis needs at cornerback. We'll start with a player that has nine years of NFL experience who might be able to provide a boost for Indy's secondary who knows the AFC South well.

Steven Nelson

Steven Nelson recently saw the Colts in 2023 as a member of the Texans. In nine seasons Nelson has played for the Kansas City Chiefs (2015-2018), Pittsburgh Steelers (2019-2020), Philadelphia Eagles (2021), and Texans (2022-2023). Throughout his career he's tallied 130 games (115 starts), 456 tackles (11 for loss), 13 interceptions, 78 passes defended, and 4 fumbles recovered.

Nelson also played a massive amount of outside cornerback snaps in 2023, logging 1,001 per Pro Football Focus. He also finished last year solid in coverage with a grade of 73.7. Indianapolis can't afford to move forward anymore without some insurance behind Moore and Jones, which is why Nelson makes perfect sense despite being 31.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Eli Apple

Similar to Nelson, Eli Apple has played eight seasons in the NFL. Starting as a 10th overall pick (2016) for the New York Giants, Apple soon found himself with the New Orleans Saints (2018-2020). After that he had stops with the Carolina Panthers (2020), Cincinnati Bengals (2021-2022), and Miami Dolphins (2023). Apple has 381 tackles (7 for loss), 6 interceptions, 60 passes defended, and 98 total games (82 starts) for his career.

While Apple has similar experience to Nelson, he isn't close to him in coverage ability. But, if Indianapolis wants more run defense from a veteran cornerback, Apple is a great choice. Also, an outside cornerback, Apple secured a PFF run defense mark of 86.0 as a member of the Bengals last year. While Apple is an outright first-round bust, Indianapolis isn't looking for high-end talent at cornerback, but stability from a steady veteran hand. Apple can possibly provide that with an aggressive mentality at the position for Gus Bradley.

The Bottom Line

The Colts know their cornerback room is thin, make no mistake about that. But the market is getting tougher to pull talent from now that Ahkello Witherspoon re-signed with the Los Angeles Rams. With the Green Bay Packers just around the corner for week two, Indy can't afford to sit on their hands and do nothing if the urge is there to get more talent.

We'll see what general manager Chris Ballard does with a secondary who can't afford any additional setbacks or injuries with the 2024 season is just in its infancy.

---

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X; subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.