COLTS SAF PREVIEW: Strong Trio Should Create Big Plays Routinely

The Indianapolis Colts spent heavy resources on the safety position this offseason, adding Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas after former starter Nick Cross left in free agency.

The Colts also get Hunter Wohler back from a foot injury that sidelined him as a rookie, but they continued to add to the position through the draft.

In the third round, the Colts landed LSU safety A.J. Haulcy, whom they were eyeing as early as the second round, and his addition might just tie the entire safety group together.

"I'll tell you what, you think you know a guy and you go through the process, and I think we, not only the coaches, but Chris (Ballard) and his staff, we thought we had a really good feel for what (Haulcy) was all about," Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said recently.

"And so far he's come in and exceeded my expectations, just from a mental standpoint in terms of picking things up, recall. He's not a repeat offender when it comes to a mistake that he may make. He gets football," Anarumo continued. "Like he has a really good feel for the subtleties of the game that maybe a guy as a rookie doesn't have. So, I'm excited about where his upside can go."

Here's what to expect from Haulcy and the rest of the Colts' safeties in 2026.

Cam Bynum, A.J. Haulcy

The Colts got arguably the best year of Cam Bynum's career last year after adding him in free agency. He had a new career-high in interceptions (4) and tackles for loss (3), and his pass breakups (8) and tackles (81) were among his three-best career marks.

Technically, Haulcy and Wohler will compete for the starting strong safety role next to Bynum, but Haulcy is expected to be there at some point.

Pairing Bynum and Haulcy allows the Colts to have two safeties on the field who can line up in multiple spots, while also adequately defending the run and playing at a high level in coverage.

So far, Haulcy is making a strong impression on Bynum.

"Yeah, first day of practice, he had a one-handed snag pick on an over route and snatched it out of the air," Bynum said of Haulcy. "I think what he's been doing so far, learning the defense, sitting next to me in film, I'm able to get a lot of knowledge from him, then vice versa; I'm able to give whatever I can to him. And just from the whole room, I think everybody's been embracing all the rookies, but especially AJ. He's been doing a really good job filling in and rotating in, heavy rotating with the ones. So, I think he's been doing a really good job, and he's operating like a vet."

Hunter Wohler, Jonathan Owens, Juanyeh Thomas

Under Anarumo, the Colts are a team that will use more than two safeties at a time. Last year, Rodney Thomas II played 150 snaps, with Bynum and Cross typically already on the field. Wohler should be the next in line, but his role will be different from what Thomas' was.

Wohler can be used as the Colts' dime linebacker, allowing Bynum to play deep and for Haulcy to creep closer to the line of scrimmage as well. Expect Wohler to be on the field quite a bit as long as he remains healthy.

Owens and Thomas are another couple of versatile players. Owens may even be an option to backup Justin Walley at slot corner, though Owens and Thomas' most obvious role is on special teams.

Daniel Scott, Trey Washington, Austin Brown, Ben Nikkel

It appears the Colts have a stocked cupboard at safety, and it'll be difficult for any of Scott, Washington, Brown, or Nikkel to make the roster. However, Scott was a significant special-teams player last year, playing 50 snaps across four games. If he stays healthy this summer, he may stick around again.

Brown is also interesting, as the Colts gave him $272,500 in guarantees on his undrafted free-agent contract, which is a rather strong figure. He's a high-quality athlete who may translate well to special teams, though he may have to spend time on the practice squad first.