10 AFC predictions for Week 1 of 2018 NFL season

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 08: Indianapolis Colts safety Malik Hooker (29) calls out a signal during the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts on October 8, 2017, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. The Colts secondary will surprise

It’s easy to dislike the defensive talent the Indianapolis Colts have assembled, at least for 2018 since the unit is so young and unproven. Especially in the front seven, where contributors like Kemoko Turay, Tarell Basham, Grover Stewart, Anthony Walker, Skai Moore, and Darius Leonard were all drafted in the last two years.

But there’s been too much generalization about the secondary simply because the names aren’t headliners.

Colts Cornerback room:
Kenny Moore, Pierre Desir
Quincy Wilson, Nate Hairston
Lenzy Pipkins, Chris Milton

No joke - they will start player(s) who many teams would cut
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) August 28, 2018

Safeties Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers are going to be significantly good influences on a young corner depth chart, and Matthias Farley is a solid run-stopper. Corners Pierre Desir and Nate Hairston flew under-the-radar as capable starters despite the team being a disaster.

I believe the Bengals will win the game (see the first slide), but defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus isn’t working with a group of inept secondary players. The shakiest of the group is certainly Kenny Moore, and the fact he beat out former second-round pick Quincy Wilson is very concerning for Wilson.

Masking a second corner isn’t out of the norm for a defense though. The Colts’ back end’s biggest concern is the front seven in front of them being unable to pressure the passer.