Rookie minicamp is underway for the Indianapolis Colts, and of note at least, seventh-round draft pick Hunter Wohler is listed at safety instead of linebacker.
During his college career at Wisconsin, Wohler played safety, but when he was drafted by the Colts, he was announced as a linebacker. As of now, on the team site, Wohler is still with the linebackers, but on the rookie minicamp depth chart, he was listed as a safety, for what it’s worth.
Perhaps for the few days of rookie minicamp, from a numbers perspective on the roster, the Colts needed another safety. Also, if we look at the Colts’ 91-man roster overall, the safety depth is quite thin when compared to linebacker, especially with Indianapolis having just signed Joe Bachie, who played under Lou Anarumo in Cincinnati.
While we know that Cam Bynum and Nick Cross will be starting at safety, behind them on the depth chart are Rodney Thomas, Marcel Dabo, and Daniel Scott. This is a unit that could benefit from having Wohler’s presence.
Now, having said all of that, whether Wohler is listed as a safety or a linebacker, from the sounds of it, we will see him filling roles at each position as needed. Specifically in Anarumo’s scheme, the opportunity for Hunter to carve out a role could come as a dime linebacker during obvious passing situations, where his previous safety experience can bring some added coverage ability to the second level.
“With how much sub-package we’re in, in the NFL nowadays, that dime linebacker role is nice for him, but that’s not going to limit him to play strong safety or free safety,” area scout Tyler Hughes said. “He has the frame to play all of them.”
During his time at Wisconsin, Wohler handled some deep safety duties, but the bulk of his snaps came near the line of scrimmage, where he proved to be a reliable tackler and run defender, which is why the Colts may entertain the idea of having him play some linebacker. This is a move we saw Indianapolis make last year with Jaylon Carlies, who was drafted in the fifth round out of Missouri.
The one thing that the Colts will have to be mindful of, and not just Wohler but any Day 3 rookie, is putting too much on their plate early on. Wohler’s versatility is one of the reasons that the Colts drafted him, but getting really good at one or two things early on can be quite valuable.
Full #Colts rookie minicamp roster pic.twitter.com/VfcQBkpq3r
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) May 9, 2025
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts rookie minicamp: Draft pick Hunter Wohler listed as safety