Ever since arriving in Indianapolis this offseason, Colts first-year defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has completely shaken up the secondary.
Charvarius Ward, Cam Bynum, Justin Walley, Hunter Wohler, Mekhi Blackmon and Xavien Howard are amongst some of the additions he made to a group of defensive backs which otherwise lacked intrigue. Howard, the latest addition, joined in part due to his familiarity with Anarumo going back to their time together in Miami.
Anarumo’s reshuffling suggests he was not at all content with the players he inherited from Gus Bradley, prompting the drastic switch.
On Tuesday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Colts will workout nickel cornerback Mike Hilton, another player with Anarumo ties.
Hilton spent four years as the nickel cornerback in Anarumo’s scheme with the Bengals, where he proved to be a valuable piece.
The 31-year-old had his best four seasons of his career with the Bengals, recording 283 tackles (36 for loss), 24 passes defended, six interceptions and two sacks.
The Colts cornerback room has already seen some incredible turnover and is a completely different group from 2024. Only Jaylon Jones and Kenny Moore II remain after Indy waived former second-round pick JuJu Brents.
Adding Hilton would continue Anarumo’s trend of giving the group a complete makeover. While the Colts already have a nickel cornerback they like in Moore II, Anarumo is known for constantly changing up his presnap looks and using multiple personnel packages. Hilton would allow for even more freedom in that department.
We’ll see what Hilton, if signed, can bring to the Colts, who are looking to rebound from being one of the worst defenses in 2024.
