The Indianapolis Colts have a number of players looking to bounce back during the 2020 season and even though he wasn’t with the team last year, cornerback Xavier Rhodes will be on that list.
Following a down year with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, Rhodes was cut by the only team that he’s ever played for just before free agency. The Colts wound up signing the veteran to a one-year deal hoping he can improve his numbers.
In projecting each AFC team’s most improved player in 2020, NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund listed Rhodes for the Colts.
Rhodes allowed a 127.8 passer rating last season with the Vikings (third-highest among corners, min. 50 targets) and an 84.3 percent completion percentage, which was the highest for any qualified corner, per PFF. OK, that was then. But now, as a Colt, he has the potential to realize results more like his 2016 and 2017 output (he was a Pro Bowler in each season), meaning at least above-average production in coverage and helping against the run.
The Colts cornerback room has plenty of question marks entering the 2020 season. Rhodes will certainly be one of them as he enters a starting role on the boundary opposite second-year starter Rock Ya-Sin.
While the pass rush should be improved to the point where the secondary gets some help, the Colts will still need Rhodes to look more like his 2017 form than his 2019.
The Colts secondary has a lot to prove in 2020 and Rhodes will be leading players hoping to return to form.