In an early 2025 NFL mock draft from Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, he has the Colts addressing the secondary in the first round, selecting Arizona defensive back Tacario Davis at 13th overall.
Listed at 6-4 – 195 pounds, Davis has excellent size, which we know the Colts covet at the cornerback position. The 2023 season was Davis’ first as a stater and he put together an impressive year, with almost all of his snaps coming as an outside corner.
Davis would miss only two of his 27 tackle attempts and in coverage, allowed a completion rate of just 42.6 percent on 54 targets. He held opponents to 12.6 yards per catch and had one interception and his 15 pass breakups were the most in the Pac-12.
Davis was also named a member of the AP Second-Team All-Pac-12.
If Arizona's Tacario Davis is pressing you, and he's in phase at the top of the route, you are about to have a Very Bad Day. pic.twitter.com/B2u6TV64zQ
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) June 16, 2024
“Davis still has a few things to work out regarding staying in phase all the way through the route,” wrote Farrar, “but that’s not uncommon with bigger defenders who have more to move. The upside to Davis’ game is that when everything’s in sync, he is an extremely oppressive pass defender who can just wipe receivers off the stat sheet.”
The cornerback position was considered by many to be a top need for the Colts this offseason. However, the only outside additions made came on Day 3 of the draft, telling us that internally, the Colts are bullish about the current room that they have.
Contributing to what is expected to be improved play from the unit this season is health, with both JuJu Brents and Dallis Flowers able to participate in OTAs and minicamp, along with the experience that was gained by a young unit in 2023.
Outside of Kenny Moore in the nickel, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley mentioned earlier this offseason that the battle for the two starting boundary cornerback positions was “wide open.”
Throughout offseason programs, it appeared that Brents had a firm grasp on one of those starting spots, while Jayon Jones and Flowers will be competing for the opening opposite of Brents. In the early going, it has been Jones taking those reps.
“I think all those guys, obviously, we drafted two young guys, but I think with Jaylon Jones, Dallis, and JuJu, they’re long, rangy guys that are physical when they get up and press,” said Shane Steichen during minicamp.
“They got good vision. I love those guys. It’s a good room. A good competition there. It’s going to be a good competition, obviously, in minicamp and OTAs, but going into training camp is going to be big for all those guys.”
The Colts believe that the skill sets and potential are there in the cornerback room, but the defense now needs that to translate into production if they’re going to improve in 2024. Last season, Indianapolis ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in explosive pass plays allowed and pass breakups.
