The Indianapolis Colts are said to have one of the NFL's most underrated rookies, who should make a significant early impact.
After making some significant changes, the Indianapolis Colts set out to get younger and more explosive on defense this offseason.
As the team sat there in April, with a decision to make while on the clock at 53rd overall in the draft, two players they wanted most were linebacker CJ Allen and safety A.J. Haulcy.
Addressing a more dire need, Allen was the pick. However, to the Colts' fortune, Haulcy was still there, his name staring them directly in the face, with their next selection at 78. He was quickly their choice.
Haulcy was projected to go earlier in the draft than he did, and, coupled with where he went, he is considered one of the NFL's most underrated rookies.
Jun 9, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1), Indianapolis Colts safety A.J. Haulcy (25) and Indianapolis Colts safety Daniel Scott (32) participate in a drill during minicamp at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesGary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently identified six NFL rookies selected in the third round or later who will have a significant impact in their first year, and Haulcy was one of them.
"Safety isn't usually a position that generates a ton of hype in the NFL Draft. That wasn't the case this year—Ohio State's Caleb Downs was Bleacher Report's top-ranked prospect overall. But there was no explosion of enthusiasm when the Indianapolis Colts selected LSU's A.J. Haulcy in Round 3.
"With that said, there's plenty for Colts fans to be excited about with the 6'0", 215-pounder...
"With the departure of Nick Cross in free agency, the Colts have a hole at box safety opposite Bynum—a role that Haulcy's skill-set appears tailor-made for. In 2025, Cross had 120 total tackles—good for the fourth-most among all defensive backs.
"It wouldn't be any kind of real upset to see Haulcy make a similar statistical dent in his inaugural season—or even exceed it."
Haulcy fits what Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo wants in an ideal safety: a player rangy and explosive enough to play deep, strong enough to play in the box, smart and instinctive enough to play every down and situation, and someone with the ability to take the ball away from the offense.
“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. And so far he's come in and exceeded my expectations, just from a mental standpoint in terms of picking things up, recall," Anarumo recently said about Haulcy.
"He's not a repeat offender when it comes to a mistake that he may get," Anarumo continued. "He gets football. 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.”
Haulcy currently finds himself competing with Hunter Wohler for the starting strong safety role, but essentially all news about Haulcy out of Colts headquarters has been positive, with his work ethic, mental makeup, and on-field playmaking being lauded by coaches and teammates alike.
