Yankees' Gerrit Cole to begin rehab assignment in Double-A on Friday
Yankees' Gerrit Cole to Begin Rehab Assignment on Friday
The Cincinnati Bengals are focusing on cornerback as a key need in the upcoming NFL draft. They have two potential long-term starters but lack depth at the position.
Cornerback has finally come into focus as a major need for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL draft this year.
Logically and with fans, cornerback was always a big need. The Bengals appear to have two future long-term starters at the position, provided the front office gets extensions done with them properly.
But the third spot and depth behind the starters is about as shaky as it gets leaguewide. Itâs a quiet problem, but one that could come to the forefront at No. 10 overall.
Hereâs a quick rundown of the Bengals at cornerback going into the draft.
The Bengals got breakouts on the boundary from DJ Turner and Dax Hill last year. Turner looks like he has long-term No. 1 upside. Hill didnât get to move outside until later in the season, but he was stellar there.
Those are the foundational building blocks for the Bengalsâ defense. It feels like theyâre the only sure, reliable things going into 2026. Both will probably be expected to be paid as such, perhaps over the summer.
What complicates things is if the Bengals take a corner at No. 10 who is a good fit on the boundary, which could cause the coaches to once again mess with Hillâs position. That could backfire.
Cam Taylor-Britt was never coming back. The former second-round pick flamed out badly, going from a possible No. 1 option to getting benched multiple times before a string of off-field issues.
The Bengals have two potential long-term starters but face significant depth issues at cornerback.
Cornerback is a major need due to the uncertainty surrounding the third spot and overall depth at the position.
The Bengals hold the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft, which could significantly influence their strategy for addressing cornerback depth.
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Itâs hard to undersell just how dire things are at cornerback for the Bengals.
They donât have a starting nickel corner. Josh Newton never seized the opportunity. Jalen Davis is currently the starter, but heâs a former practice squad player and 30 years old.
Fourth cornerback is effectively a âstarterâ in the NFL these days, too, given the injury rate at the position, how important rotations are to keep guys fresh and how to play into matchups. The Bengals donât have a reliable fourth or fifth corner.
Then thereâs the front office. The Bengals left their comfort zone when they paid top-of-market deals to two wideouts for Joe Burrow. Itâs unlikely, for roster-balancing reasons, that they would do the same at cornerback. Maybe Hill doesnât want as much as Turner, but itâs hard to imagine this front office going major for both. Thatâs especially true if they draft one at No. 10 and think about the long-term costs if that pick pans out well.
Given the above, it wouldnât be a shock to see the Bengals attack cornerback at No. 10 and then again later in the order. Itâs a premium spot that needs four starters and they have two, with nothing guaranteed for the long-term thanks to the front office.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL draft preview: Where Bengals stand at cornerback