Most essential Colts, No. 9: Kenny Moore II has outplayed his position and his contract
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?
Today, we're on to No. 9, Kenny Moore II.
Here's the list so far:
10. Braden Smith, right tackle
9. Kenny Moore II, cornerback
Position: Cornerback
Age: 26
Experience: 6th NFL season, 6th with Colts
Accolades: 1 Pro Bowl, 61 starts in 75 games, 14 INTs, 45 pass deflections
2021 stats: 17 games, 4 INTs, 13 pass deflections, Pro Bowl
Why he's here: Of the players on this list, Kenny Moore II has had the most remarkable rise, all the way from undrafted out of Valdosta State, cut by the Patriots and contemplating whether to even keep playing to what is now a Pro Bowl level.
Moore II arguably deserved a Pro Bowl bid in 2020, when he also intercepted four passes and played every game, but his story is also one of consistent growth. In five seasons in Indianapolis, he's gone from a special teamer to a backup cornerback to a nickel corner to the rare type of nickel who almost never leaves the field.
Moore II played 97% of the defensive snaps last season. He lined up on the outside in base formations and then played most of the game from the nickel spot, but he is not your typical third cornerback here. Moore II operates like a box safety, stepping up with consistent fits and reliable tackling for the NFL's No. 3 run defense and calling out formations and alignments before the snap to the younger cornerbacks on the outside.
GO DEEPER: How Colts' Kenny Moore II went from a boy scared of hits to Man of the Year
Isaiah Rodgers credited a large portion of his breakout second half to playing next to Moore II, who also became a big reason the Colts could survive a rash of safety injuries and still finish No. 8 in defensive DVOA, all without much of a pass rush.
So, why isn't he higher on this list? Moore II might want to know. He's campaigning for a new contract from the four-year, $33.3 million one he's halfway through. He feels he's proven to be more than a traditional nickel cornerback. He also believes he's the complete package as the franchise's Walter Payton Man of the Year.
It will take time to project Moore II's true value in Gus Bradley's defense. Whereas the nickel spot became an essential role under Matt Eberflus, Bradley has admittedly never had a high-level nickel like Moore II, and he's compensated for it with man-match concepts from his linebackers and a safety in the box. It's up to Moore II to show how he can accentuate that chaos.
He's also coming off two games that didn't leave the best of impressions. Right as the Colts were leaning into more man coverage, Moore II found himself on the wrong end of matchups against Hunter Renfrow and Marvin Jones late last season, showing some of the limitations of his 5-foot-9-inch body.
He's a Pro Bowler but not yet an All-Pro. He's trying to show his position can be a crucial element of this defense. He's entering his prime now, as confident as he's ever been, so the time is now to prove how valuable he can really be.
Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Kenny Moore II is No. 9 among Colts' most essential players
