PFF Lists the Colts Cornerback Position Group as One of NFL’s Most ‘Unimproved’

According to PFF, the Indianapolis Colts have one of the league’s most ‘unimproved’ position groups at cornerback from free agency and their early offseason moves:

MOST UNIMPROVED

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: CORNERBACK

Additions: CB Brandon Facyson

Departures: CB Rock Ya-Sin, CB Xavier Rhodes

Ya-Sin, Rhodes and Isaiah Rodgers helped the Colts’ cornerbacks post a top-10 outside coverage grade in 2021. But instead of retaining that group, the Colts traded Ya-Sin to the Las Vegas Raiders for edge defender Yannick Ngakoue and Rhodes is a free agent who is unlikely to return. The Colts signed Brandon Facyson — who played for Gus Bradley in Las Vegas in 2021 — to help staunch the bleeding, but he has borderline liability play on his resume. He earned a 42.5 coverage grade and ranked fifth-to-last in yards allowed per coverage snap (1.67) in 2021.

So far, the team traded promising young starter Rock Ya-Sin in a surprise move, while adding free agent cornerback Brandon Facyson, who previously played under new Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, to a 1-year, $3.54M deal.

To be fair though, this cornerback group is still a work in progress, and it would be surprising if the Colts entered the 2022 regular season without another impact addition at the position through either free agency or early in this year’s NFL Draft.

There are some quality veteran free agent options such as Stephon Gilmore, Patrick Peterson, and Steven Nelson still available among others.

However, yeah, the Colts still have some heavy lifting to do to upgrade the position as is.