Colts DC Lou Anarumo on rookie safety A.J. Haulcy: 'He's exceeded my expectations'

INDIANAPOLIS – Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo could hardly contain his excitement after the Colts took LSU star safety A.J. Haulcy with the team’s third-round pick in Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

And all the prospective starting strong safety has done during the team’s weeks of OTAs and first two days of mandatory minicamp this week has exceed those expectations.

“You think you know a guy and go through the (draft) process but not only the coaches, but (Colts general manager) Chris (Ballard) and his staff, we thought we had a pretty good feel for what he was all about, and so far he’s come in and exceeded my expectations,” the Colts defensive coordinator told reporters Wednesday ahead of Day 2 of mini-camp. “Just from a mental standpoint, in terms of picking things up and his recall, he hasn’t been a repeat offender on mistakes he’s made.

“He gets football. He has a really good feel for the subtleties of the game that maybe a guy as a typical rookie doesn’t have, so I’m excited about where his upside could be go.”

Even with the volume of veteran safeties the Colts brought in during free agency following the loss of multi-year starter Nick Cross to the Commanders, Haulcy has continued to frequently take first-team reps during minicamp this week, along with the Colts’ second-round pick from the same draft class, All-American Georgia linebacker CJ Allen.

In throwing second-year nickel cornerback Justin Walley – who notably had some tough moments during camp Wednesday in coverage against slot receiver Josh Downs – Anarumo told reporters Wednesday before on-field action that he’d been “really pleased with the young guys.”

Fourth-round rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher also picked off second-year quarterback Riley Leonard during 7-on-7 drills Tuesday. Alongside him, Allen has been taking the green dot responsibilities of being the quarterback of the defense, Anarumo said – something the long-time defensive coach has never bestowed upon a rookie during his career.

“(CJ) is in here every day super early, getting work done before practice. I’m really excited about where he’s at,” Anarumo said. “It’s been good, I laugh because it’s always a work in progress with the young guys, but (CJ) has done a good job.”

Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has high praise for rookie class