Will Hunter Wohler Elevate To Starting Safety In Year Two?
- Wohler, a 7th-round pick, impressed as a rookie before injury, could start in Year 2.
- Colts lack experienced options at safety, leaving Wohler as a potential starter.
- Wohler's recovery from Lisfranc injury will determine his spring involvement and chances.
INDIANAPOLIS – From zero snaps played as a rookie to a full-time starting safety in Year Two?
That would be quite the rare NFL story, but the Colts do believe it’s possible for safety Hunter Wohler.
A promising rookie offseason ended for Wohler in August when he suffered a Lisfranc foot injury.
While Wohler was unlikely to start as a 7th round rookie, he was in line for an important special teams role, and potentially some sub package duties defensively.
“Every time we kept asking (Wohler) to do something, he’d do it at a high level,” Chris Ballard recalls. “Whether it was on special teams, at safety, being able to play dime.”
With Nick Cross departing in free agency, the Colts are in need for a new starter next to Cam Bynum.
The answers aren’t too obvious.
In-house, besides Wohler, the Colts have Rueben Lowery, Trey Washington and Daniel Scott returning. Lowery has played 76 career defensive snaps. Washington has played 36 career defensive snaps. Scott has played 13 career defensive snaps. That’s hardly any experience.
Outside of the building, the Colts did ink a couple free agent signings with some starting experience. Juanyeh Thomas has 4 career starts in 3 years. Jonathan Owens has 35 starts in 7 years, although he hasn’t been a full-time starter in the last two years.
It’s hard to call any of the names above a true favorite in the new starting strong safety.
Perhaps the Colts even add another safety name to the competition come draft time.
But the team remains very intrigued by what Wohler can do in his second NFL season.
Now, returning from a Lisfranc injury takes ample time, so his spring involvement could be hindered a bit as he tries to position himself on an uncertain depth chart.
Lou Anarumo playing young guys has always been a bit of a question.
Yet, Wohler was doing enough last season to turn the head of the veteran defensive coordinator.
“There’s certainly those flash plays that you see,” Anarumo said of Wohler last training camp. “Still got a ways to go with some of the other things. But certainly, he’s done a good job coming in, inserting himself into the defense and knowing – he does a great job of studying what the calls are obviously, and where he’s supposed to be. He’s done a good job communicating for a young guy.
“So, I’m pleased with where he’s at.”
Is that enough for Wohler, a 7th round pick in 2025, to go from zero snaps in Year One to a full-time starter in Year Two?
