Perhaps more so than any other young player on this Indianapolis Colts roster, a breakout season for second-year cornerback JuJu Brents would carry a massive impact.
Coming into the upcoming season, cornerback is one of the bigger question marks that the Colts have–a position group that defensive coordinator Gus Bradley called “wide open.” But a strong sophomore season from Brents would provide some much-needed stability to the position, which, when coupled with the Colts’ defensive front, could result in a formidable unit overall.
A second-round pick by the Colts in 2023, Brents dealt with injuries during his rookie season. He would miss offseason programs and a portion of training camp and then appeared in only nine games in-season.
When on the field as a rookie, Brents surrendered a completion rate of 67 percent and 14.2 yards per catch with one interception and five pass breakups.
This missed time put Brents behind from the start and left him playing catchup throughout the year.
“That part is challenging,” said Gus Bradley about Brents’ missed time last offseason. “There’s still a little bit where we’re looking at him, and you can see that he’s had some experienced play, and now when you’re going through this phase of it, you’re looking back at it, and you’re saying, ‘boy, let’s start over with him here, and let’s get him back to the fundamentals and the basics.’
“It’s not so much the technique at the line of scrimmage, it’s more what are the formations, the motions, the jets, the things like that, that I think for JuJu, that’s going to be the learning curve. He missed a lot of that, even in walkthroughs and training camp.”
However, now fully healthy, Brents already has a massive leg up this year compared to last because he’s able to be on the practice field, applying what he’s learning in the film room.
In addition to being healthy and focusing on his diet, contributing to what hopefully becomes a breakout year for him is the continuity of being in the same defensive system for a second season. Specifically knowing the playbook, his responsibilities, and the roles of his teammates.
Brents has also relied heavily on fellow cornerback Kenny Moore this offseason and his veteran experience:
“You just piggyback and learn from all the vets, for real,” said Brents during OTAs. “The one guy I did just follow behind was K-Mo. Just trying to figure out his daily routines, even like off the field. How he goes about his daily stuff, taking care of his body. That’s big for me. Just continuing to learn how to be a pro in that aspect.”
From the outside looking in, cornerback was perceived to be a big need for the Colts this offseason. This was a unit that gave up too many big plays and didn’t make enough plays on the football last season.
However, with GM Chris Ballard not adding to the position until Day 3 of the NFL draft, he and Shane Steichen showcased the confidence that they have in Brents – and the rest of this unit – to bounce back in 2024.
“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.”
