With offseason programs now behind us, let’s take a position-by-position look at where things stand for the Indianapolis Colts. Next up are the safeties.
If you missed our other positional reviews, you can find them below.
Cam Bynum brings a do-it-all presence to the Colts’ secondary
During his time in Minnesota, Bynum proved to be a sound tackler and he brings very good ball production–something the Colts need more of–to Indianapolis. Over the last two seasons, Bynum has recorded five interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
But beyond his column in the stat sheet, Bynum is a really good fit schematically for what Lou Anarumo wants to accomplish. His background as a cornerback, coupled with those ball skills, makes him someone who can be left on an island on the back-end of the defense, which we anticipate seeing more of under Anarumo.
In addition to that, while the majority of Bynum’s NFL snaps have come as a free safety, he brings versatility to the secondary as well, able to line up close to the line of scrimmage, help out in the run game, or even handle nickel duties if needed. This skill set will be quite valuable in Anarumo’s disguise-heavy scheme.
“He’s got the versatility to be a deep field safety, an at the line of scrimmage player, a blitzer, he can play some of the big nickel role if you need him to with that corner coverage ability and that shows up the most on some of those weighty downs–third down, red zone where you can really align any different way,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said of Bynum, via James Boyd of The Athletic. “You can play man, zone, pressure, he’s really done it all.”
Bynum’s presence at safety will provide Anarumo with a lot of flexibility.
What’s next for Nick Cross?
The emergence of Cross last season was one of the bright spots on this Indianapolis Colts’ defense. Taking over as the starting strong safety early on in the year, Cross thrived playing closer to the line of scrimmage.
He was among the leading tacklers in the NFL with 140 in total, according to PFF, and he was fairly reliable as well. Among all safeties, Cross ranked fourth in run stops last season.
In coverage, he held opponents to under 10 yards per catch and forced three interceptions and two pass breakups.
“It just comes down to reps,” Cross said, via the Colts team site. “I’ve always said that. Reps, comfortability, being able to go out there and do the same thing over and over again, it gets you more comfortable and you go out there and your athleticism and capabilities can show.”
The next step for him will be showcasing that last season’s performance can be the norm for him. Having played his share of snaps at free safety while with the Colts should help Cross acclimate to Anarumo’s scheme, where more movement is expected in the secondary.
Where does Hunter Wohler fit in?
Wohler played safety at Wisconsin, the Colts drafted him as a linebacker, and now on the team site, he is listed as a defensive back. If I had to guess, Wohler will provide depth at the safety position–something that is very much needed–but in Anarumo’s defense, where there is going to be a greater reliance on defensive backs, perhaps Wohler could play more of a coverage linebacker role during those obvious passing situations.
“With Hunter, the versatility was the key thing, especially later in the draft,” said Hughes via the Indy Star. “He’s played a lot of down linebacker, he’s played strong safety, he’s played free safety, he was the punt returner this year, which shows that he’s a reliable dude and coaches trust him. Super smart. He’s going to be a great special teams player for us.
“With how much sub-package we’re in, in the NFL nowadays, that dime linebacker role is nice for him, but that’s not going to limit him to play strong safety or free safety. He has the frame to play all of them.”
We can also expect to see a heavy dose of Wohler on the Colts’ special teams units.
The Colts are short on experienced depth at safety
We know that Bynum and Cross will be starting, but behind those two on the depth chart is a lot of inexperience. While Rodney Thomas has played 1,780 career snaps on defense, his role was significantly reduced in 2024.
Beyond Thomas, none of the other safeties on the Colts’ depth chart have any NFL experience on defense. I don’t expect the Colts to make an addition here, but experienced addition to boost the depth does make sense.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Indianapolis Colts position review after minicamp: Cam Bynum, Nick Cross and the safeties
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
