The Indianapolis Colts haven’t had a legitimately good defense in a while.
It’s been four years since they last ranked inside the NFL’s top 10 in points allowed and five years since they were top-10 in yards. They haven’t even been close since then, ranking 28th, 28th, and 24th in scoring and 15th, 24th, and 29th in yards in the three years, respectively.
Some of this has been coaching, but a lot of it has been total breakdowns and failures in execution by the players on the field. In short, the Colts need more talent, versatility, and competition on the defensive side of the ball to accompany the recent hiring of new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Pro Football Focus‘ Dalton Wasserman recognized this when he revealed his most recent 2025 NFL mock draft, sending Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron to the Colts with the 14th overall pick.
“The Colts have long needed premier talent at outside cornerback, and Barron gives new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo just that,” Wasserman wrote. “His (Barron) 91.1 PFF coverage grade last season led all Power Four cornerbacks. He would be a perfect fit in Anarumo’s complex zone coverage schemes.”
Barron (5’11”, 200, 23 years old), checks a lot of the boxes that the Colts ought to be looking for in their defensive backs. First and foremost, he’s been available, playing in 43 games over the last three years since becoming a full-time starter for the Longhorns.
The fifth-year senior and reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner is also as versatile as they come, playing 893 snaps in the slot, 860 at outside cornerback, 475 in the box, and 51 as the deep safety all since 2022.
In that time, Barron compiled 205 tackles (20 for loss), 2.0 sacks, 3 fumbles recovered, 8 interceptions, 20 pass breakups, and 2 defensive touchdowns, culminating in Consensus All-American honors in 2024.
On the field, there isn’t much to be concerned about with Barron. He’s got great short-area quickness to stick to route runners like glue, and he doesn’t shy away from contact whether it’s in run support or throwing a receiver off their route. He’s competitive when the ball is in the air and makes like difficult for the opposing passing game from whistle to whistle. The main question people have about Barron is his long speed downfield, which will be tested this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Colts do have some talent in the secondary, but they desperately need more, especially if it comes in the form of proven, dependable young players.
Top cornerback Kenny Moore II and safety Julian Blackmon have worn many hats for the Colts’ defense over the years, but Moore is about to enter his age-30 season, and Blackmon is a free agent. Barron offers the sort of versatility those two have shown, and he can provide help elsewhere as well.
The Colts drafted JuJu Brents in the second round two years ago to be their top outside corner, but he’s played in just 11 of a possible 34 games due to injury. Jaylon Jones and Samuel Womack III are both fine young players, but the Colts still need more, especially if it provides competition.
The 2025 NFL Draft will begin on Thursday, April 24 and end on Saturday, April 26.