Tag: Kenny Moore

Colts’ training camp roster preview: CB Kenny Moore

Up next in our Colts’ training camp roster preview is CB Kenny Moore. Here is a look back at 2023 for Moore and what’s ahead in 2024.

Veterans and rookies for the Indianapolis Colts will report for training camp on July 24th, with the first practice taking place on July 25th.

Between now and then I will be previewing the Colts’ 91-man roster with a look back at each player’s 2023 season, along with what’s ahead for 2024.

I’ll be going through the Colts’ roster alphabetically, so up next is cornerback Kenny Moore. To stay up to date with our other previews, be sure to head over to Colts Wire.

2023 Season Review

The 2023 season was Moore’s seventh with the Colts and throughout that entire time, he has continually proven to be both reliable and durable. In three of the last four seasons, Moore has played at least 1,000 snaps.

Last year specifically, Moore was again a sound tackler and one of PFF’s higher graded cornerbacks when it came to run defense, ranking 19th out of 72 eligible cornerbacks in that category.

In coverage, Moore allowed 64 completions on 81 targets and held pass-catchers to just over 9.0 yards per reception. He would also come away with three interceptions, two pass breakups, and ranked ninth among all slot corners in yards per snap allowed and 11th in snaps per target.

“The best players in the league have great instincts,’’ Shane Steichen said last season following Moore’s two-interception performance against Carolina. “You coach ‘em as hard as you want, but the guys who are really good with ball skills and good instincts, sometimes that takes over.

“He’s got a great feel for that position inside there at the nickel position and he just continues to show up and make plays.’’

Earlier this offseason, PFF would select Moore as the Colts’ “most under appreciated player” on the team.

2024 Season Preview

The Colts quickly re-signed Moore earlier this offseason to a three-year deal worth $30 million, which at the time made him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the game.

The only known at the cornerback position right now for the Colts is Moore, who will again be tasked with providing some needed stability at the position. In fact, you could say more is one of the most important players on this Colts team, given the uncertainty at the cornerback position.

In addition to what Moore provides the defense on the field with his level of play, he is one of the established leaders off of it, and has played a role in the offseason success that JuJu Brents has had, with Brents leaning on Moore as he enters his second NFL season.

“You just piggyback and learn from all the vets, for real,” said Brents. “The one guy I did just follow behind was K-Mo. Just trying to figure out his daily routines, even like off the field. How he goes about his daily stuff, taking care of his body. That’s big for me. Just continuing to learn how to be a pro in that aspect.”

The 2023 season was the second year for the Colts’ defenders in Gus Bradley’s system, and Moore was able to take a big step forward after experiencing some ups and downs in Year 1.

Now entering his third year in the system, Moore’s continued ascension in this scheme, with the added continuity of being in it for another year, will be an important element for a secondary unit that as a whole has to improve in 2024.

“He’s an electric player,” said Shane Steichen last summer. “Shoot, going against him on the opposing sideline and now to be on the same team with him. He’s a dynamic player, he’s a great cover guy, he makes plays and it’s hard to throw against him.”

Panthers land Patrick Mahomes in ultimate 7-round NFL mock draft

Talk about a fantasy . . .

Quarterback problem solved . . . but not really.

For the third consecutive offseason, NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter built an ultimate seven-round mock draft—throwing all of the league’s players into one big pool to choose from with the objective being to “win now!” The exercise used 2023’s records for its snaked draft order, giving the 2-15 Panthers the No. 1 overall selection.

And with that pick, Reuter gets Carolina the best quarterback on the planet—Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes:

No surprise here. The strong-armed, mobile playmaker is the top pick in this exercise for the second straight year, fresh off his third Super Bowl title in six years as a starter.

The thrice-named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player is fresh off capturing the Chiefs their second Lombardi Trophy in the past three years. His list of accolades also include a pair of league MVPs, an Offensive Player of the Year award, two First-team All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl nods.

Oh, and he’s turning 29 years old on Sept. 17—so get used to the success if you aren’t already.

Reuter rounds out Carolina’s haul with the following selections:

  • Round 2 (64th overall): WR Jaylen Waddle
  • Round 3 (65th overall): DE Danielle Hunter
  • Round 4 (128th overall): OT Tyron Smith
  • Round 5 (129th overall): DT Javon Hargrave
  • Round 6 (192nd overall): CB Kenny Moore
  • Round 7 (193rd overall): WR Rome Odunze

[lawrence-related id=699005,698732,661248]

No Colts’ cornerbacks appear on PFF’s top-32 rankings

PFF put together its ranking of the top 32 cornerbacks ahead of the 2024 season and no members of the Colts were listed, including Kenny Moore.

Pro Football Focus put together its ranking of the top 32 cornerbacks ahead of the 2024 NFL season, and no member of the Indianapolis Colts’ roster made the list.

Among PFF’s top-five were Sauce Gardner at No. 1, followed by Trent McDuffie, Charvarius Ward, Pat Surtain, and Jaylon Johnson. The final five to make the list were Darius Slay at No. 28, Tyson Campbell, Jaycee Horn, Daron Bland, and Joey Porter Jr.

For the most part, the cornerback position for the Colts is unproven and one with its share of question marks coming into the upcoming season. However, at the nickel position is Kenny Moore, one of the better slot cornerbacks in the game, and he was left off PFF’s rankings.

Moore has provided a consistent presence in the secondary during his tenure with the Colts, being both reliable in coverage and as a tackler. He’s held opponents to fewer than 10.0 yards per catch in his career and has four seasons with three-plus interceptions and three seasons with six-plus pass breakups.

Moore has also routinely been one of PFF’s better-graded run defenders at the cornerback position, as well as durable, playing over 1,000 defensive snaps in three of the last four seasons.

“The best players in the league have great instincts,’’ Shane Steichen said last season following Moore’s two-interception performance against Carolina. “You coach ‘em as hard as you want, but the guys who are really good with ball skills and good instincts, sometimes that takes over.

“He’s got a great feel for that position inside there at the nickel position and he just continues to show up and make plays.’’

The boundary cornerback positions are “wide open,” as defensive coordinator Gus Bradley put it earlier this offseason, but it would appear that JuJu Brents has a firm grasp on one of those starting roles, while Jaylon Jones has been starting over Dallis Flowers during OTAs and minicamp.

Inconsistency was all too common at the cornerback position last season, with too many big plays being surrendered and not enough plays on the football being made.

However, the only outside additions made to the cornerback position this offseason were on Day 3 of the draft, which gives the impression that the Colts are bullish on this group, and so far, through the completion of offseason programs, Steichen is happy with where this competition is at.

“I think all those guys, obviously, we drafted two young guys, but I think with Jaylon Jones, Dallis, and JuJu, they’re long, rangy guys that are physical when they get up and press,” said Steichen during minicamp.

“They got good vision. I love those guys. It’s a good room. A good competition there. It’s going to be a good competition, obviously, in minicamp and OTAs, but going into training camp is going to be big for all those guys.”

The skill sets are there within the room, but now it’s time for that to translate to production on the field. Two key factors behind what hopefully becomes improved play are having a healthy unit, with both Brents and Flowers on the practice field, and a more seasoned group as well with the experience that was gained from last season.

Ultimately, as Bradley said, it is going to be day-to-day consistency that determines who will be starting on the boundary.

Colts’ CB Kenny Moore named among the NFL’s top slot defenders

Colts’ cornerback Kenny Moore was named among the NFL’s top slot defenders in Touchdown Wire’s recent rankings.

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire put together his ranking of the top-11 slot defenders in football ahead of the 2024 season. Coming in at No. 7 was Colts’ cornerback Kenny Moore.

At the top of Farrar’s list was Trent McDuffie, followed by Kyle Hamilton, Brian Branch, Devon Witherspoon, and Alontae Taylor rounding out the top-five.

Here is a snippet of what Farrar had to say about Moore and his place in these rankings:

“At age 30, Moore can still match and carry the league’s quicker receivers all over the field for deflections and interceptions. He proved the theory against Tutu Atwell of the Rams in Week 4. At 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Moore also has no issue whatsoever coming down and squaring up against running backs — either in run fits, or on quick passes outside.”

Moore will be entering his eighth season with the Colts and has been both reliable and durable during that span, playing over 1,000 defensive snaps in three of the last four seasons.

Moore has consistently graded out as one of PFF’s better run defenders at the cornerback position and been a sound tackler as well.

In coverage over his career, he’s held opponents to under 10.0 yards per catch. Moore has four seasons where he’s recorded three interceptions, including last year, and three seasons where he’s had at least six pass breakups.

“The best players in the league have great instincts,’’ Shane Steichen said last season following Moore’s two-interception performance against Carolina. “You coach ‘em as hard as you want, but the guys who are really good with ball skills and good instincts, sometimes that takes over.

“He’s got a great feel for that position inside there at the nickel position and he just continues to show up and make plays.’’

Moore signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension with the Colts this offseason, making him the highest-paid slot cornerback in the NFL. GM Chris Ballard would call Moore “one of the top nickels” in football earlier this offseason.

The cornerback position is one of the bigger unknowns on this Colts team heading into 2024, specifically on the boundary, but having Moore’s presence in the nickel provides some stability to a position that very much needs it. A healthy room and the experience gained last season will hopefully be two catalysts towards improved play in 2024.

CB Kenny Moore named Colts ‘most underappreciated’ player

Slot cornerback Kenny Moore was named the Colts ‘most underappreciated’ player by Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo of PFF.

Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo of PFF recently discussed the ‘most underappreciated’ players in the AFC South. When they got to the Indianapolis Colts, they chose nickel cornerback Kenny Moore.

Here is what Palazzolo had to say on why Moore was the pick for Indianapolis:

“You’re typical underappreciated slot corner, that’s Kenny Moore. Kenny Moore’s the guy that needs the love from the Indianapolis Colts. Another one of those do-it-all type of slot defenders. Excellent zone feel. Makes plays on the ball, gets dirty in the run game, he’s been the heart of that Colts’ defense over the last couple of years.

“So, any time we can highlight one of those nickel corners that can do everything, have to do it. That’s Kenny Moore for the Indianapolis Colts.”

Moore is entering his eighth season with the Colts and, during that span, has been both durable and reliable. In three of the last four seasons, Moore has played over 1,000 defensive snaps.

As Palazzolo noted, Moore is a very willing run defender and he consistently grades out quite well in that category by PFF’s metrics.

Moore has been a sound tackler, especially over the last few seasons, and has allowed fewer than 10.0 yards per catch in his career. He has recorded at least three interceptions in four seasons and has three years with at least six pass breakups.

Earlier this offseason, GM Chris Ballard called Moore “one of the top nickels” in the NFL.

Moore was a free agent this offseason but was quickly re-signed by the Colts to a three-year deal worth $30 million–making him the highest-paid nickel cornerback in football.

While there are obvious unknowns at the cornerback position for the Colts, mainly who will be starting on the boundary, having Moore in the slot provides some much-needed stability to a unit that needs it.

In addition to Palazzolo and Monson selecting Moore, two other players they brought up were offensive tackles Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith.

Colts CB JuJu Brents leaning on veteran Kenny Moore this offseason

Colts’ second-year cornerback JuJu Brents has leaned on veteran Kenny Moore this offseason as he looks to make that Year 2 leap.

A player’s second NFL season is often when we see the biggest jump, and the Colts are banking heavily on cornerback JuJu Brents making that leap.

This offseason, to help facilitate what hopefully becomes a Year 2 jump, Brents has relied heavily on fellow cornerback Kenny Moore.

“You just piggyback and learn from all the vets, for real,” said Brents after Wednesday’s practice. “The one guy I did just follow behind was K-Mo. Just trying to figure out his daily routines, even like off the field. How he goes about his daily stuff, taking care of his body. That’s big for me. Just continuing to learn how to be a pro in that aspect.”

Brents, unfortunately, dealt with injuries throughout his rookie season. He was limited to just nine games, eight of which were starts. In those games, Brents allowed a completion rate of 66.7 percent, 14.2 yards per catch, and recorded one interception, along with five pass breakups.

Making matters more difficult for Brents was that he was playing catchup from the start. Wrist surgery following the NFL Combine kept him out of OTAs and forced him to miss a portion of training camp.

Although Brents kept his nose in the playbook while sidelined, there is no replacing those on-field reps that take place during practice.

“That part is challenging,” said Gus Bradley about Brents’ missed time last offseason. “There’s still a little bit where we’re looking at him, and you can see that he’s had some experienced play, and now when you’re going through this phase of it, you’re looking back at it, and you’re saying, ‘boy, let’s start over with him here, and let’s get him back to the fundamentals and the basics.’

“It’s not so much the technique at the line of scrimmage, it’s more what are the formations, the motions, the jets, the things like that, that I think for JuJu, that’s going to be the learning curve. He missed a lot of that, even in walkthroughs and training camp.”

In addition to picking the brain of Moore and other veterans like DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson, Brents has focused on his offseason diet and been extremely intentional with everything he does to make sure he is able to stay healthy over the course of the season.

Outside of Moore, who will be lined up in the slot, Bradley called the battle for the Colts’ two starting boundary cornerback positions ‘wide open.’ Competing with Brents will be Dallis Flowers, who is returning from an Achilles injury, Jaylon Jones, Darrell Baker, and Jaylin Simpson.

Although there are unknowns at cornerback, a position group that gave up too many big plays last season, internally, the Colts appear bullish about this unit, given that the only outside additions made were in the fifth and sixth-rounds of the draft.

Ballard mentioned that the experience gained last season by young players like Brents, along with the return of Flowers, should result in improved play in 2024.

Now healthy, along with the help of Moore and others, Brents has been able to fully attack this offseason, something he was unable to do a year ago and a factor that should be a catalyst behind a leap in development that so many successful NFL players make.

“Last year, I feel like I was getting pretty comfortable,” added Brents, “just getting those experiences early on. Like even now, this year, like I said, just continuing to carry on the habit. This offseason, having these reps, which are vital, like I said, they’re like game reps the way I’ve been approaching them. So just having those reps are important, it’s big to carry on into this upcoming year.”

PFF says Saints should target this slot DB in free agency

PFF says the Saints should target Colts slot specialist Kenny Moore in free agency, moving Alontae Taylor back where he’s played his best football:

Dennis Allen has built the New Orleans Saints around his secondary, and fans should expect him to continue to pour resources into that position group in 2024. That starts with free agency. According to Pro Football Focus analyst Gordon McGuinness, their top target should be Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II. A specialist in guarding the slot, Moore could be a big upgrade in that role over Alontae Taylor. Here’s what McGuinness had to say in making his case:

2022 second-round draft pick Alontae Taylor has struggled from the slot through his first two NFL seasons. With the way the slot cornerback market usually shakes out, the Saints might be able to bring in some competition without spending too much. Kenny Moore II is coming off the highest PFF coverage grade of his career (79.3) in 2023 and would be an immediate upgrade on the inside.

No player was targeted more often in the slot last season than Taylor (96 times, per PFF charting) and he allowed the most catches (65) and yards (672) in the league. The six touchdown receptions he gave up were second-most. Taylor is at his best playing outside where he can use the sideline to his advantage and compete at the catch point further downfield.

Let’s compare that to Moore, who played six fewer snaps in the slot than Taylor and faced 34 fewer targets. Moore allowed 49 receptions for just 399 yards and intercepted nearly as many passes (two) as touchdowns he allowed (three). He missed a dozen tackles this year but played more than 1,000 snaps, so it’s not a bad rate.

Sure, Moore is 30 years old and is likelier to slow down than improve his game. But the Saints need a better answer for covering the slot than playing Taylor out of position. If they do something drastic with Marshon Lattimore and trade him, opening a path for Taylor to start out wide (where he’s played his best football), splurging on a free agent contract with Moore would make sense. PFF projects him to land a two-year, $13.5 million deal in free agency with about $8 million in guarantees, which the Saints could easily fit on their books after reaching salary cap compliance.

.[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Instant analysis of Colts’ 27-13 win over Panthers

Here’s our instant analysis from the Week 9 win.

The Indianapolis Colts (4-5) ended their three-game losing streak with a 27-13 win over the Carolina Panthers (1-7) on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

In a game the Colts were dominating going into halftime, the Panthers didn’t go away quietly until they made some crucial mistakes in the fourth quarter that allowed the Colts to put the game away.

With this win, the Colts ended their three-game skid and now will focus on getting healthy for the trip to Germany where they’ll face the New England Patriots.

But first, here’s our instant analysis from the Week 9 win:

WATCH: Kenny Moore II gets second pick-six vs. Panthers

Kenny Moore II pick-six encore.

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II figured one pick-six wasn’t enough.

Early in the fourth quarter as the Carolina Panthers were threatening to make it a one-score game, Moore came through with his second interception-returned-for-a-touchdown.

Bryce Young overthrew a screen to Miles Sanders, and Moore was right there for the interception. He raced 66 yards for his second score of the game to give the Colts a 27-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

He’s the first player in franchise history to record two pick-sixes in a single game. Take a look here:

[lawrence-related id=91055,91052,91049]

Colts vs. Jaguars: 5 things to know in Week 1

Here are five things to know for the Week 1 matchup between the Colts and Jaguars.

Regular season football is officially back, and the Indianapolis Colts start their 2023 season against the reigning AFC South division winners.

The Jacksonville Jaguars return to Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 10, to defend their crown.

Indianapolis has a new coaching staff, quarterback, and team identity built around youth. It’s all hands on deck as the team looks to win its first game in the Shane Steichen era.

Here are five things to know entering the Week 1 matchup: