The Indianapolis Colts' defense will hopefully look quite different beginning this coming season. And by "different," the team hopes that means much better. Even after making a change to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo last season, the defense was still underwhelming.
What will help Anarumo in his search for improvement is that general manager Chris Ballard gifted the DC with a couple of young players who should add more athleticism and speed to the unit. One is a second-round pick, linebacker CJ Allen. The other is third-round choice, safety A.J. Haulcy.
Haulcy has a starting spot right in front of him if he can perform well in minicamp and training camp. The team let Nick Cross, who was good against the run but not so much against the pass, walk in free agency. The team had no obvious replacement for him at the time.
A.J. Haulcy looking like an immediate starter for the Indianapolis Colts
ESPN's Colts reporter, Stephen Holder, points out that the LSU product has the inside track to replacing Cross, not 2025 pick, Hunter Wohler. Wohler was a seventh-round choice who was very impressive in training camp last year, but then he suffered a Lisfranc injury and missed the regular season.
Even if Wohler had remained healthy last season, he might not have had the advantage over Haulcy, a player who is faster and more athletic overall. The rookie also promises to be far better in coverage than Cross.
At Houston and then LSU in the last two years, Haulcy allowed three total touchdown catches, but he also intercepted eight passes. His quarterback rating allowed was 64.9 and 59.0 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. He was also terrific in crunching the line of scrimmage against the run.
Wohler, at least based on his final year in college at Wisconsin in 2024 (clearly, the team has nothing to base a future Wohler performance on except practice last year for the Indianapolis Colts), has nowhere near the coverage skills of A.J. Haulcy. That season, Wohler had a quarterback rating allowed of 117.7, allowed three touchdowns, and had no picks.
That is just one reason that he fell to the seventh round, of course, but his lack of physical prowess is another. Sure, he might have looked like a hidden gem for Indianapolis in training camp, but his measurables simply don't match Haulcy's. Surely, Lou Anarumo wouldn't choose Wohler over Haulcy in the long term.
Of course, Anarumo could be looking to be a defensive coordinator for another team after the 2026 season if the Colts don't make the postseason. Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen might need to seek other employment, too. Meanwhile, A.J. Haulcy could be helping Indianapolis win games well into the future.
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