Recent news involving the Colts opens the door for a selection early in the 2026 NFL Draft that wasn’t previously expected
The Indianapolis Colts have multiple positions that clearly sit at the top of their biggest needs ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, but the news of an expected Kenny Moore II trade puts cornerback on the table.
Some shocking news came out this week involving the Indianapolis Colts. The team and cornerback Kenny Moore II have agreed to seek a trade partner for the nine-year vet.
Thanks to the Sauce Gardner trade and Charvarius Ward’s decision not to retire, the Colts’ cornerback room was one of the few position groups on their roster with excellent depth. However, Moore II being traded doesn’t create an instant need at corner. Because the team wants to give second-year corner Justin Walley a chance to earn the job.
The team’s need at outside corner was already present before this news. It just wasn’t as necessary for them to target now. Now they may be forced to consider using a high draft pick on the position in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Trading Kenny Moore II could force the Colts to consider D’Angelo Ponds and other CBs early in the 2026 NFL Draft
If the Colts took a corner early in the 2026 NFL Draft, it would have been a major shock before this. It may upset some people, but we have to consider it a legitimate possibility.
One option they could consider now, which would be met with excitement from a large portion of the fan base, is Indiana Hoosiers corner, D’Angelo Ponds. If it weren’t for Ponds being undersized at around 5’9″, his tape and skills would make him a first-round pick.
At this moment, though, analysts expect him to be a day two selection instead. This puts him in reach for the Colts if they wanted to go ahead and plan for the near future. Ward choosing not to retire this year was a win for the Colts, but the odds of him missing time this season and possibly retiring in the near future are pretty high. And Ponds’ dad seems to like the idea of D’Angelo staying in Indiana.
Drafting Ponds would give the Colts a player who could compete with Walley for the starting slot job this season. They both also have experience starting on the outside despite their size. Whoever isn’t named the slot corner would instantly become the team’s primary rotational corner behind Gardner and Ward.
If Ponds isn’t their preferred corner, there are plenty of other options that could make sense for the Colts to target in this class. The one skill I would expect to be a requirement, though, is the ability to play on the outside. Corner becoming a large need this close to the draft isn’t ideal, but it’s the Colts reality if a trade for Moore II comes together as expected.
