INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Brents’ rookie season began and ended with injury issues.
It tested his resolve and ability to learn on the fly.
Practice? Not much.
Now, the Warren Central High School product is eager for a restart.
“This is my first time of having a full offseason under my belt,’’ said the presumptive second-year starting cornerback with the Indianapolis Colts. “That’s big.
“I remember last year around this time like, “Dang, I wish I could be out there practicing.’’’
That never was expected when the Colts selected him in the second round of the 2023 draft, No. 44 overall.
Brents had undergone surgery on his left wrist following the NFL Scouting Combine, and everyone realized his rehab would force him to watch the entirety of the team’s offseason program, including the invaluable OTAs and minicamps.
That’s the fertile time when players, especially those new to the systems, find something approaching their comfort zone.
“I was still in the playbook,’’ the Kansas State standout said, “but it’s different when you’re on the field and actually doing full, live reps.
“It’s big for sure.’’
The wrist rehab, though, was just the start of Brents’ rookie frustrations. At the start of training camp, he suffered a hamstring injury that again cut into practice time. After starting four games, he injured a quad in the week 7 loss to Cleveland that would sideline him for six games. Brents returned and started the final four games, but exited the week 18 loss to Houston in the third quarter with a hamstring issue.
The motivation heading into year 2, Brents insisted, is “internally.’’
“Last year, the way it ended lit a fire in me because I wasn’t able to finish,’’ he said. “Knowing how hard I did work to come back from my injury and try to stay healthy and then go out with another injury was tough.
“For me this offseason, just the way I’ve been working, making sure I’m on top of my game off the field so I can be out there and available for this team. That’s the big thing for me. So internally man, just holding myself accountable for every little thing it is that I do. I don’t want to let my team down.
“I feel like last year not being able to finish was tough for me.’’
Brents has adjusted his diet and tried to follow the lead of veteran teammates, most notably Kenny Moore II, DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson.
“One guy I did follow was K-Mo,’’ he said. “Figuring out his daily routines, even off the field, how he goes about his daily stuff, taking care of your body.
“Just figuring out how he really watches film, dissects film going into each week, even in practice. You practice like you play. It’s big for sure.’’
With minimal reps to actually get acclimated with playing one of the NFL’s most unforgiving positions – once the season begins, practice largely focuses on the next opponent – Brents appeared in nine games with eight starts. He finished with 42 tackles, one interception, six passes defensed and one forced fumble/recovery in the week 3 overtime upset of the Ravens in Baltimore.
It’s hard to qualify how the extended missed practice reps adversely impacted Brents’ growth last season. There’s undeniable value in being attentive during meetings and walkthroughs, but it’s not the same as being on the practice field on a day-to-day basis.
That’s why this offseason and upcoming training camp are so important. Moore is the unquestioned leader of the secondary from his nickel corner spot, but Brents must emerge as one of the starting outside corners. He’s the long, lean corner personified: 6-3, 198 pounds.
Coordinator Gus Bradley admitted there’s a challenge in developing Brents.
“There’s still a little bit where we look at him and you can see he’s had some experience playing,’’ he said. “Now, when you’re going through this phase of (the offseason work), you’re looking back at it and you’re saying, ‘Let’s start over with him. Let’s get him back to the fundamentals and the basics.’
“It’s not so much the techniques at the line of scrimmage, it’s more of the formations, the motions, the jets; the things like that for JuJu that will be the learning curve where he missed a lot of that even in walkthroughs and training camp.’’
Still a young group
General manager Chris Ballard and the team made the decision to head into 2023 with a young group of cornerbacks. Except for Moore, of course.
They’re a year older, but it’s still a young group.
Last season, they experienced the expected highs and lows. The Colts’ pass defense endured too many instances of miscommunication – Puka Nacua was wide open on his game-winning 22-yard TD in the overtime loss to the Rams in week 4 - and allowed averages of 7.3 yards per attempt (11th-worst in the league) and 11.2 yards per reception.
Ballard invested three of his 2023 draft picks on corners – Brents (round 2), Darius Rush (round 5, waived), Jaylon Jones (round 7) – and watched as Brents started eight games and Jones appeared in all 17 with 10 starts.
Dallis Flowers and Darrell Baker Jr. were the opening-day starters despite having little or no experience heading into their second seasons. Flowers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in week 4.
“I think they’ve grown up,’’ Ballard said of his corners. “It’s been fun to watch them. Once you play 16, 17 games in this league, you’ve grown up . . . I think we’ll see better play out of them.
“It’s kind of like the ass-whipping you all gave the o-line two years ago. ‘The o-line sucks.’ I kept going, ‘Man, the second half of the season I didn’t think it was that bad.’
“There were some individual moments of course, but I think they got better as they played . . . and I think they will continue to get better.’’
Moore returns for an eighth season and has a resume that dwarfs the others in the position room. He’s started 90 games, 60 more than the rest. He has 17 career interceptions. The others have combined for two.
Brents, Jones and Ameer Speed are heading into their second seasons. Baker and Flowers are in year 3. Jaylin Simpson and Micah Abraham are rookies.
The depth chart, Bradley insisted, is “wide open.’’ He likes the size and speed of Brents, Jones and Flowers.
“Now, it’s just the consistency,’’ Bradley said. “Who is going to step up and be that guy that takes the next step there as a corner?
“We trust Kenny and his consistency. With those other guys, it’s play-in and play-out, who can play at the standard we’re looking to play at?’’
During practice this week, Brents was the starting right corner with Baker and Jones getting reps on the left side. Moore handled his usual nickel responsibilities, although he’s always an option to work outside.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.