Horseshoe Huddle

Impressive Stat Shows Quality of Colts Cornerback

The Indianapolis Colts have a hidden star in their secondary.

Sean Ackerman

Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) reacts in the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
Dec 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones (40) reacts in the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Indianapolis Colts have invested serious money into their secondary through the first few weeks of NFL free agency. Safety Cam Bynum and cornerback Charvarius Ward were each awarded multi-year deals worth up to $60 million to improve the quality of the Colts' secondary.

Indianapolis struggled throughout the 2024 season, especially with defending the pass. Opposing quarterbacks had a completion percentage of 69.36% against the Colts last season, ranking Indy's pass defense 30th in the league.

Injury scares forced the Colts to turn to the depth chart early in the season after JuJu Brents exited the team's Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans. That left Jaylon Jones to be Indy's CB1 for the remainder of the year, a role he was forced to take on in just his second season.

Jones, 22, stepped up to the plate. He allowed just one touchdown on 92 targets, making him one of just six cornerbacks in the league with 60+ targets and one or fewer touchdowns allowed.

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!

Jones made 100 combined tackles, snagged two interceptions, had 12 passes defended, and forced one fumble to lead the Colts' secondary. For a seventh-round pick, Jones has certainly paid off through two years at the professional level.

Pro Football Focus graded Jones as the 70th-best corner in the league out of 222 eligible players. One issue that stands out on his stat sheet is missed tackles, which plagued the whole team. Jones missed 15 tackles last season, ranking in 211th place among 222 corners.

If he can clean up some of the simple things, Jones should be set for another big year. It'll be interesting to see how Lou Anarumo uses Jones, especially if he earns the other starting spot across from Ward.

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

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

Published
Sean Ackerman
SEAN ACKERMAN

Home/News