Colts pick hometown CB Brents in second round
Apr. 28—INDIANAPOLIS — Julius Brents is coming home.
The former Warren Central star and Kansas State cornerback was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 44th overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday.
At 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds with a punishing playing style and 34-inch arms, Brents has prototypical measurables for defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's scheme.
He also grew up as a Colts fan, cheering on the franchise during its glory days.
"It's great," Brents said during a video conference call. "You can't write no better story than this, man. ... Being a Colts fan my whole life, growing up watching Peyton Manning — he was my favorite player along with Bob Sanders — being able to put that same horseshoe on, it's nothing short of a blessing.
"It's crazy, but I know this is just the start of the journey. I'm just ready to get to work, man."
Brents began his college career at Iowa but transferred to Kansas State after making seven starts during his first two seasons with the Hawkeyes.
With the Wildcats, Brents rapidly developed into a star.
In two seasons in the Big 12, the cornerback recorded 94 tackles — 6.5 for loss — five interceptions and six pass breakups.
Brents was in attendance during Indianapolis' local pro day in early April but couldn't work out while rehabbing from a wrist injury he played with throughout the 2023 season.
He did, however, spend significant time talking with first-year Colts head coach Shane Steichen at one end of the field.
His length, physicality and ability to play on the outside are all appealing to Indianapolis. But Brents said he also has versatility, including a comfortability in both press and zone coverage.
"It's a lot to my game, man," Brents said. "I'm just looking forward to being able to showcase it."
He watched Friday's second round unfold from a sports bar in Westfield and was initially skeptical when a 317 area code appeared on his cellphone.
"It was crazy, like I was dreaming in a sense, and I was just praying nobody was prank calling me," Brents said.
He knew the Colts liked his game, and he knew the team had a need at cornerback after trading veteran Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys in March.
But the unpredictability of the NFL Draft made him uncertain a homecoming was in the cards.
"I didn't expect it," Brents said. "Kinda in a sense, I knew that they wanted a great corner, and they got one with me."
The Colts traded down twice from the 35th overall spot — picking up extra picks in the fourth and fifth rounds Saturday — before selecting the cornerback.
General manager Chris Ballard said there were five or six players still on the board whom Indianapolis had graded in that area, and the move was made to get more shots on the draft board.
"We think there's still some really good players (on the board Saturday)," Ballard said. "We've done really well in that fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh round area."
With a thin depth chart at the position, Brents could be in the mix to start immediately.
Kenny Moore II likely will continue to start on the outside in the base defense and move into the slot in sub packages. Isaiah Rodgers Sr. will be the favorite to start in the other outside slot with 2022 undrafted free agent addition Dallis Flowers as the next most experienced cornerback on the roster.
Brents believes he's a great fit for the defense, and he's excited about helping to make his hometown team competitive again.
"I just want to win," Brents said. "I just want to bring that winning mentality to the Colts organization and bring us back that Super Bowl."
