Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire put together his ranking of the top-11 slot defenders in football ahead of the 2024 season. Coming in at No. 7 was Colts’ cornerback Kenny Moore.
At the top of Farrar’s list was Trent McDuffie, followed by Kyle Hamilton, Brian Branch, Devon Witherspoon, and Alontae Taylor rounding out the top-five.
Here is a snippet of what Farrar had to say about Moore and his place in these rankings:
“At age 30, Moore can still match and carry the league’s quicker receivers all over the field for deflections and interceptions. He proved the theory against Tutu Atwell of the Rams in Week 4. At 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Moore also has no issue whatsoever coming down and squaring up against running backs — either in run fits, or on quick passes outside.”
Moore will be entering his eighth season with the Colts and has been both reliable and durable during that span, playing over 1,000 defensive snaps in three of the last four seasons.
Moore has consistently graded out as one of PFF’s better run defenders at the cornerback position and been a sound tackler as well.
In coverage over his career, he’s held opponents to under 10.0 yards per catch. Moore has four seasons where he’s recorded three interceptions, including last year, and three seasons where he’s had at least six pass breakups.
“The best players in the league have great instincts,’’ Shane Steichen said last season following Moore’s two-interception performance against Carolina. “You coach ‘em as hard as you want, but the guys who are really good with ball skills and good instincts, sometimes that takes over.
“He’s got a great feel for that position inside there at the nickel position and he just continues to show up and make plays.’’
Moore signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension with the Colts this offseason, making him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the NFL. GM Chris Ballard would call Moore “one of the top nickels” in football earlier this offseason.
The cornerback position is one of the bigger unknowns on this Colts team heading into 2024, specifically on the boundary, but having Moore’s presence in the nickel provides some stability to a position that very much needs it. A healthy room and the experience gained last season will hopefully be two catalysts towards improved play in 2024.
