The 5 biggest things we learned during Colts…

Justin Walley and Cam Taylor-Britt look like real additions to the Colts’ defense.

Walley jumped in front Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London on a pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and snagged it for a pick-six near the end of Wednesday’s joint practice. It was a fitting end-of-camp moment for the 2025 third-round pick, who started strong in July and didn’t drop off through the dog days of August.

“Walley’s a playmaker, and it’s great to have him back coming off the injury,” Steichen said. “He’s been making plays all camp.”

A year ago, Walley was tracking to start as a rookie before he sustained a torn ACL in a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens. For a second-year player with exactly zero snaps in the NFL, what Walley’s been able to do should not be taken for granted.

“Until you line up against somebody else, you never know how your body’s going to react,” Walley said on this week’s Colts Show podcast. “The only question I had for myself was how I would react to live bodies in front of me. But getting back out here, it’s been like riding a bike.”

Walley is the unproven member of the Colts’ cornerback trio, and offenses may look to avoid Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward Sr. on the outside while testing Walley, who remains unproven to the rest of the league. Those offenses, though, might want to proceed with caution.

One other development at cornerback has been the steady play of Taylor-Britt, who’s filled in with Ward (back) missing the last week and a half. Taylor-Britt has had proven production not just in the NFL, but in Anarumo’s defense: From 2023-2024 with the Cincinnati Bengals, he totaled 27 passes defensed (seven interceptions, 20 break-ups), tied for the eighth-highest total in the league during that span.

Steichen said Taylor-Britt’s toughness has jumped off the practice fields at Grand Park. And if the Colts do need a fill-in for Ward or Gardner at any point this year (outside of Week 1, when Taylor-Britt is suspended), Anarumo shouldn’t have to alter the way he calls his defense much.

“He’s been physical at the line of scrimmage with receivers, which I love that,” Steichen said. “I love his energy. And I love what he brings to our team.”