Colts roster outlook: Upgrades, downgrades or lateral moves on defense

Taking a look at the offseason moves the Indianapolis Colts made on the defensive side of the ball.

Safety

Gained: Julian Blackmon
Lost: Clayton Geathers, Rolan Milligan (opt-out)

The Colts secondary has a lot of question marks and the safety position may be at the forefront of it. They allowed the veteran and oft-injured Geathers to hit free agency while adding the rookie Blackmon via a third-round pick in the draft.

This room revolves around the prospects of Malik Hooker and whether he can turn in a performance worthy of a second contract. The Colts declined his fifth-year option, which puts him under plenty of pressure to perform.

The Blackmon pick has a lot of upside but the Utah product won’t get on the field until October at the very earliest as he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered in December.

Whenever Blackmon returns to the field, it will likely result in an upgrade at the safety position.

Verdict: Slight upgrade