The Indianapolis Colts have issues in their secondary, but one of the few bright spots is their young third-year cornerback, Dallis Flowers. Coming out of Pittsburg State, Flowers was undrafted and ended up signing with the Colts in 2022. He only started one game in his rookie season but had 13 appearances. Primarily used on special teams, Flowers’ lone start on defense came in week 18 against the Houston Texans. In the games leading up to week 18, though, Flowers was able to hold his own as a young cornerback going up against many top receivers. In 2022, he finished with 10 solo tackles, and one forced fumble. On special teams, he averaged 31 yards per kickoff return.

Heading into 2023, the Indianapolis Colts decided to promote Dallis Flowers to a starting role on defense. Here, he was no longer just a guy on special teams, but a starting cornerback in the NFL. With a lot of optimism surrounding Flowers, it was heartbreaking when his season ended in week four. Nonetheless, up until that point, he was playing at the level that the Colts needed him to play as a starter. Through those four games, Flowers finished with 11 solo tackles, three passes defended, and one tackle for loss. He also only returned one kickoff as the Colts utilized other skill players for the task.

Why Dallis Flowers Could Have a Breakout Year with the Indianapolis Colts

He Demonstrated His Worth to the Team

The best way to know a player’s value to their team is to see how a team functions without that player. In the first four weeks of the season in which Dallis Flowers was healthy, the Indianapolis Colts defense had continuity in the secondary. They did bench starting cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. in favor of rookie JuJu Brents, but the personnel was set for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, that continuity would end rather abruptly. After Flowers went down for the year, the Colts needed someone to step up and take his place. To their demise, they never found a solid replacement. It was clear that the presence of Flowers was missed within the secondary.

He Has Proven That He Can Play in This League at a High Level

General Manager Chris Ballard has received a lot of criticism in regards to how he plans to patch up this Colts secondary. However, in just looking at the roster, the Colts have their four primary cornerbacks. They resigned Kenny Moore II. Rookie sensation JuJu Brents will be back for year two. Jaylon Jones is coming off a promising rookie season. More importantly, though, Dallis Flowers is coming back from injury and could have a breakout 2024 season.

Dallis Flowers‘ best season came in the four games that he played in 2023. As a starter, Flowers finished with 170 routes covered. Within that, he allowed 20 targets and gave up 13 receptions for 120 yards. He did not allow a single touchdown and had a 74.6% success rate against man coverage. These numbers are certainly not shutdown corner numbers, but they emphasize the fact that Flower’s can go against some of the best. He had to defend receivers like Calvin Ridley, Tank Dell, and Zay Flowers. That is no small order for a first-year starter, but Flowers met the challenge. It is expected that he will meet the challenge and beyond in 2024.