Most essential Colts, No. 7: Stephon Gilmore can take Colts defense to a place it's never been
In a salary-cap league like the NFL, finding building blocks is essential. As teams churn and burn the roster through the draft and bargain signings in free agency, it helps to find the players who are either a cut above the rest or can perform a task few others can. They bring security and relieve the pressure on everyone.
Over the next two weeks, we'll be ranking the 10 most essential players to the Colts' success in 2022. It's a subjective process, weighing factors such as ability, positional value within a scheme, age, leadership and durability.
To make it simpler, we're asking the following two questions about these players:
1. How difficult would he be to replace for more than a month?2. What does the Colts' 2022 ceiling become if this player hits his?
Most essential Colts, defense: Kenny Moore II has outplayed his position and his contract
Today, we're on to No. 7, Stephon Gilmore.
Here's the list so far:
10. Braden Smith, right tackle
7. Stephon Gilmore, cornerback
Position: Cornerback
Age: 31
Experience: 11th NFL season, 1st with Colts
Accolades: 125 starts in 132 games, 27 INTs, 116 pass deflections, 5 Pro Bowls, 2 First-Team All-Pro selections, 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
2021 stats: 8 games, 2 INTs, 2 pass deflections, Pro Bowl
Why he's here: This has been a Colts offseason of big swings centered around the window of a quarterback they trust. The latest swing was Stephon Gilmore, and he could be the one that turns their defense truly elite.
Like Matt Ryan, Gilmore doesn't have forever left now that he's turning 32 this fall, but the version they're getting is still an excellent player in the here and now. Gilmore has shown that by reaching the Pro Bowl in five straight seasons, with three different teams. He made it despite starting just eight games in Carolina last season.
Most essential Colts, offense: Braden Smith has become a steady force at right tackle
Also like Ryan, Gilmore was named the best player in the league on his side of the ball once. The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award came on the backs of a league-high six interceptions and 20 pass deflections, making for one of the most dominant individual seasons by a cornerback ever. That was still just two seasons ago.
What also sets Gilmore apart on this roster is that he is the only surefire starter who has won a Super Bowl. That came in 2018, when Gilmore turned in a first-team All-Pro season and helped the Patriots shut down the Rams to just three points in the final game.
There's no questioning Gilmore's ceiling, but what he also brings is a strong fit into Gus Bradley's scheme. It's a new one to him, one he's admired from afar when deployed by the Seahawks and 49ers. But as an 11th-year veteran on his fourth team, he should slide in nicely to the bump-and-run alignments and heavy doses of Cover-3. After all, he has "bump n run" in his social media handles.
Gilmore has been living for years in the grills of elite receivers, throwing off their routes with his 6-foot-1 length and recovering with eyes on the quarterback for interceptions. He plays the way the Colts want to live on the perimeter now, and he's what they'll need if they want to take down AFC contenders in January who will test everything they have in those spots. In those moments, his experience in an otherwise green secondary will be vital.
If Gilmore hits his player of the year ceiling, he'd instantly be a top-five player on this list. But turning 32 at an athleticism-based position and missing 14 games in the past two seasons does bring some caution. By his own admission, Gilmore has to prove himself again this season.
If he does that, there's no limit on how great this Colts defense could be.
Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Why Stephon Gilmore is No. 7 among most essential players
