NFL.com Names Cornerback Kenny Moore II as the Colts ‘Unsung Hero’ During 2021

According to NFL.com’s Nick Shook, cornerback Kenny Moore II was the Indianapolis Colts’ ‘unsung hero’ among all 32 NFL teams’ representatives during the 2021 season:

Kenny Moore CB · Year 5

Moore’s fifth professional season saw him earn his first Pro Bowl selection, but he’s far from a household name. That didn’t matter to the defensive back in 2021, a season in which he matched his career-high marks in interceptions (four) and passes defensed (13). Moore’s Next Gen Stats profile doesn’t paint a picture of a shutdown corner, but he was an opportunistic one, and he really thrived against the run. Moore’s eight run stuffs (a run stopped for 1 or fewer yards) tied with Kansas City’s L’Jarius Sneed for the most among cornerbacks. Moore proved to be a corner who wasn’t afraid to stick his nose into the run game and played well enough in coverage to earn recognition. In a defense featuring at least a couple of well-known stars, Moore rose to an important role in 2021.

The 26 year old standout, predominantly slot cornerback, recorded 88 solo tackles and 36 defensive stops (tackles that constitute a ‘failure’ for the offense via PFF)—en route to his first career Pro Bowl honor.

During 17 games (16 starts) in 2021, Moore was targeted 125 times in coverage for 87 receptions (69.6% completion rate) for 844 total receiving yards (9.7 ypr. avg.), 6 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 9 pass breakups, and a opposing quarterback rating of 90.9.

Moore is one of the surest tackling defensive backs in all of football and is routinely rock solid in coverage—with the versatility to also effectively blitz from the inside.

On an ascending Colts defense that also includes a pair of NFL All-Pros: DeForest Buckner and Darius Leonard, despite not always being known as a household name, Moore remains one of the unit’s ‘unsung heroes’—among the team’s top overall players.