Colts' training camp roster preview: S Kendell Brooks

Veterans and rookies for the Indianapolis Colts will report for training camp on July 24th, with the first practice taking place on July 25th.

Between now and then I will be previewing the Colts’ 91-man roster with a look back at each player’s 2023 season, along with what’s ahead for 2024.

I’ll be going through the Colts’ roster alphabetically, so up next is safety Kendell Brooks. To stay up to date with our other previews, be sure to head over to Colts Wire.

2023 Season Review

Brooks went undrafted in 2023 out of Michigan State. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted rookie, which included in $80,000 guaranteed salary. He would spend offseason programs and training camp with the Cardinals before being released. He was not signed to the practice squad and did not catch on with any other team. The Colts signed Brooks to a futures deal in early January.

Listed at 6-0 – 206, Brooks played one year as a starter on the Michigan State defense during the 2022 season after beginning his college career at DII North Greenville University. At Michigan State, Brooks was moved around often, playing 408 snaps as the free safety and another 274 from the box.

“I definitely feel like I haven’t even peaked yet,” Brooks said via SI. “At State, we ran a lot of zone. Then I rolled down in the box a lot. So, I didn’t really get to show my man-to-man coverage skills.”

By PFF’s metrics, he graded out well as both a tackler and run defender–ranking 44th out of 200 safeties in run-stop rate. In coverage, he allowed 20 completions on 29 targets at 13.1 yards per catch. He forced two pass breakups and had a passer rating when targeted of 108.7. Brooks played 256 career special teams snaps across five different phases.

2024 Season Preview

The Colts find themselves with a few question marks at the safety position, including who will be starting next to Julian Blackmon to begin the year. During offseason programs, Rodney Thomas and Nick Cross were splitting those reps.

However, on top of that, there are unknowns around the depth of this unit, with Daniel Scott out for the season with an Achilles injury, which could open the door for Brooks to make a roster push, depending on how many safeties they choose to roster.

Last year, the Colts went light and would keep just four safeties on their initial 53-man. Those same four safeties–Blackmon, Cross, Thomas, and Trevor Denbow, who was third on the team in special teams snaps and first in tackles–are all still on the team, and it’s safe to say they’ll all be on the team once again.

While, of course, Brooks performing well defensively will be a prerequisite for him to make the team, oftentimes, when it comes to these final roster spots, special teams abilities can be a deciding factor and because of that, Brooks isn’t only competing with his position group, but other special teams-heavy positions as well, such as linebacker and cornerback.

During training camp and the preseason, it will be up to Brooks to show why the Colts should keep a fifth safety this season. Also on the roster at safety for the Colts are Marcel Dabo and Michael Tutsie.