Colts Named Top Destination For 4-Time Pro Bowl Cornerback

The Indianapolis Colts could use some help in their secondary, which is why it was surprising that the Colts didn’t take a defensive back until the fifth round of the NFL Draft.

Indianapolis was able to re-sign safety Julian Blackmon and nickelback Kenny Moore in free agency, but it could probably stand to upgrade its cornerback duo of JuJu Brents and Dallis Flowers. Or, at the very least, it should add some depth to the position.

That’s why Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports thinks that former Miami Dolphins star Xavien Howard would be a perfect fit for the Colts.

Howard was released by the Dolphins earlier this offseason and surprisingly still remains available in free agency. Perhaps his price tag is too high. Or maybe he is just waiting for the right opportunity.

Whatever the case may be, Kerr thinks Indianapolis would be a great landing spot, and he expects Indy to sign a cornerback sometime over the next month.

If that ends up being the case, then why not Howard?

The 30-year-old is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played 13 games and registered 45 tackles, an interception and 12 passes defended in what was a down year for him.

Howard had previously earned three straight trips to the Pro Bowl while also notching a First-Team All-Pro selection along the way. His best season during that stretch came in 2020, when he racked up a league-leading 10 picks to go along with 51 tackles, a forced fumble and 20 passes defended, which also paced the NFL.

The Baylor product was selected by Miami in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft and went on to make four Pro Bowl appearances overall in South Beach, with his first trip coming in 2018 after he topped the league with seven interceptions. He may very well have made five straight Pro Bowls had injuries not limited him to five games in 2019.

Howard may not quite be the same force he was a few years ago, but there is no question that he still has something left in the tank, and he could probably provide some veteran assistance to a Colts defensive backfield that definitely needs it.