Justin Walley remains the unknown in the Colts' trio of starting cornerbacks, but his importance to the team is already evident.
The young cornerback has yet to play a snap in an NFL game, but he's already so crucial to the Colts that Indianapolis held him out of Thursday night's preseason game against the Patriots, just two days after he played a heavy complement of snaps in a joint practice with New England.
When Walley returned to the lineup for Saturday's short practice at Grand Park, he showed why the Colts are so high on him. He broke up two passes in the end zone, making an impact in a practice that was entirely geared toward the red-zone passing game.
On one, Walley went up high to deny veteran receiver Laquon Treadwell, while on the other, he covered Treadwell's initial route before cutting off the veteran receiver coming back to knock the pass away.
The Colts will likely use Walley in the slot, depending on the health of Charvarius Ward, who suffered a back injury last week and did not travel with the team to New England. If Ward or any of the Colts' top trio is forced to miss time, the next player up will likely be former Bengals cornerback Cameron Taylor-Britt.
In the red zone, completions can be hard to come by. The amount of space is constricted, making it easier for the defense to cut off passing lanes. Daniel Jones completed only 7 of 13 throws in Saturday's practice, with at least three throwaways due to the pocket closing around him.
Backup battle
Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson were solid in Saturday's session. Leonard completed 5 of 8 passes, finishing strong with three late completions in a row. Richardson completed 5 of 7, with one of his best plays coming on a shovel to Ulysses Bentley IV after scrambling around in the pocket.
Roll call
Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones was evaluated for a concussion Thursday night, but he practiced Saturday. A handful of other Indianapolis players were added to the injury rolls, including offensive tackle Luke Tenuta (knee), rookie offensive guard Jalen Farmer (knee), wide receiver Anthony Gould, undrafted rookie offensive lineman Nolan Rucci, and nose tackle Derrick Nnadi.
The Colts are high on Justin Walley, and it's not hard to see why. With his impressive performance in Saturday's practice, he's one step closer to taking on a bigger role in the team.
Ward is still out due to his back injury, and if he's forced to miss time, the Colts will likely turn to Walley or Cameron Taylor-Britt in the slot. The young cornerback's rise is one to watch in the coming weeks.
Source: Yahoo Sports