One of the players that Indianapolis Colts’ rookie cornerback Justin Walley has modeled his game after through the years is now his current teammate.
As Walley mentioned during Colts’ media day over minicamp, he has previously watched a lot of film of cornerback Kenny Moore, trying to pick up anything that he can.
Well, now, if Walley has any questions, he can just ask Moore in person.
“The biggest coincidence in all of this, kind of the person that I modeled my game after was Kenny Moore, and I’m on his team now,” Walley said. “So I think that was probably the thing I’m most excited for. I’ve watched so much film on him, and to be his teammate, to be able to pick his brain on small things, how he does, his habits off the field, and things like that. So it’s a blessing to be able to be on the same team as him.
Walley garnered a lot of attention during OTAs and minicamp with his performances during those practices.
“Walley’s been doing a hell of a job,” Shane Steichen said. “That’s a good get by Chris in the draft. He’s making a lot of plays out there.”
At 5-10 – 190 pounds, Walley is a bit undersized, but he makes up for it with his 4.4 speed and has been sticky in coverage throughout his college career–a skill set that will benefit him in Lou Anarumo’s more man-heavy scheme.
The Colts also view Walley as a versatile defender, someone they can move around and have fill a variety of roles, which again, will play well in Anarumo’s defense, where disguising coverages will be at a premium.
“He’s shown me he can be a dog,” Charvarius Ward said of Walley. “He can cover real well. He has some rookie mistakes, obviously he’s a young guy, but he’s been competing with all the big dogs on offense. I think he got that it factor in him. He confident in himself. He not scared. He don’t act like a rookie all the time, he playing like a vet, got his head on straight. I’ve been proud of him so far, for sure.”
In this new-look Colts’ defense, where there will be a greater reliance on defensive backs and varying coverages, Walley could carve out a role as a dime defender, as ESPN’s Stephen Holder noted. He may also find himself in the mix for the starting job opposite of Ward with Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents.
