"He’s had some rookie mistakes": Charvarius Ward drops honest take on Colts CB Justin Walley after minicamp

The Indianapolis Colts drastically changed their secondary this offseason through both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. In March, it was announced that star cornerback Charvarius Ward had signed a three year contract worth up to $60 million. Fast forward to April, and the Colts used their third round, No. 80 overall pick to select Minnesota Golden Gophers cornerback Justin Walley.

Walley had an impressive four year college football career at Minnesota, finishing with 155 total tackles, 113 solo tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, and seven interceptions.

Now teammates in Indianapolis, Ward recently discussed what he has seen from Walley to this point in the offseason. Although he did acknowledge that Walley was experiencing some "rookie mistakes", Ward made clear that he thinks Walley has what it takes to become a star in the National Football League.

NFL analyst Noah Compton uploaded the clip of the interview comments on the social media platform X on Monday.

"He’s shown me he can be a dawg. He can cover real well. He’s had some rookie mistakes obviously because he’s a young guy, but he’s been competing with all of the big dawgs on the offense. So, I think he’s got it in him, that 'it' factor." Ward said.

Will Justin Walley feature in a major role for the Indianapolis Colts in 2025?

According to ESPN, Walley is currently listed as the No. 2 RCB on the Colts depth chart. Although there is a chance that Walley earns a larger role opposite Ward throughout the season, all signs are pointing to the Colts giving the rookie some time to learn and develop to the NFL style of game in 2025.

Indianapolis will be looking for improvements across the board on the defensive side of the ball in 2025 after they struggled against both the run and the pass last year. According to ESPN, The team ranked No. 24 against the run (131.8 rushing yards against per game), No. 26 against the pass (229.4 passing yards against per game), and No. 24 in points against per game (25.1).

As a result, after an offseason where the club invested heavily in the secondary, the Colts will be looking to drastically improve on the defensive side of the ball in 2025.