The Colts make a shocking selection in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft and will look to prove NFL Draft experts wrong

Colts select Minnesota DB Justin Walley in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft

With the 80th pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Colts selected Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley. He is a smaller CB than the Colts have typically coveted in the draft, measuring in at just over 5-10 and weighing 194 at his Pro Day. 

Walley projects best as a slot corner, giving the Colts a viable backup option to Kenny Moore. Something they didn't have on the roster. He has excellent ball skills with him recording seven interceptions over the past thee years and recording a career high 10 pass deflections in his final season. 

He was a team captain at Minnesota and had snaps both in the slot and outside. Many believe he will be at minimum a great special-teams player. And you could tell general manager Chris Ballard thinks he has a lot of upside as a corner for the team. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had some solid praise for the new Colts corner, saying he liked him more and more each time he watched him this offseason. 

Justin Walley Scouting Report

Cornerback, Minnesota 

Hometown: D'lberville, MS

22 years old (09/22/2002)

"Walley is a fourth-year senior out of Biloxi, Mississippi, who played significant snaps all four years for the Golden Gophers. A three-star recruit, Walley was very productive, especially on the ball. Despite being under 6' tall, Walley is a talented player who has no issue getting physical in the running game. The tackling consistency isn't there, but the willingness to get dirty is and that's a big deal. He also has great ball skills, with 7 interceptions and 27 passes defended. His size allows him to kick inside to nickel, but he has the long speed with a 4.4 40-yard dash. Overall, Walley is a better player than his pre-draft grades would tell you (194th on the consensus board), but he will be a valuable asset at CB and on special teams for a long time." - Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports NFL Draft Analysts