Cincinnati Bengals 2022 Position Overview: CB
Players:
22. Chidobe Awuzie
20. Eli Apple
21. Mike Hilton
29. Cam Taylor-Britt
33. Tre Flowers
35. Jalen Davis
37. Delonte Hood
42. Allan George
43. Abu Daramy-Swaray
The Bengals got solid all around play from their CB’s last year, despite some turnover at the position, and often facing pass-heavy offences with team’s trying to keep up to Cincinnati’s high powered offence. Going into 2022, more of the same will be needed.
Chidobe Awuzie was one of the biggest revelations last year. He came in with a lot of upside, but also some risk. Awuzie performed like a number 1 CB, shutting down some of the best CB’s in the league. He will once again hold the top spot, matching up against the top receivers.
Eli Apple is the heavy favourite to keep his number 2 spot, at least for this year. However, there will be some competition from rookie 2nd round pick Cam Taylor-Britt. If you look at Apple’s play as a whole, it is quite good. In fact, statistically, he was one of the best CB’s in the NFL last year, during the second half of the season. What Apple needs to do to keep his spot is cut out the costly errors. There stretches of one or two plays per game where he gives up big plays need to be reduced as much as possible.
As for Taylor-Britt, if he wants to pry the spot away from Apple, he’ll need a great offseason. He is extremely athletic, but also matches it with physicality. His issues in college were actually largely mental mistakes. He will need to keep himself in good position, rather than biting on route fakes that lead to chunk yardage given up. If he fails to beat out Apple, he’ll likely hold down the 4th spot – first off the bench.
Mike Hilton is locked into his spot as the starting slot CB. The Bengals largely run a nickel defence now, meaning he’ll see the field most of the time, rather than a 3rd LB. His versatility as a blitzer and ability in run support make him an ideal fit in Annarumo’s defence. As well, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with his play in coverage this past season, as it wasn’t always a strong suit for him in Pittsburgh.
Tre Flowers is an interesting one. He will be battling for a higher spot on the CB depth chart, and he did see time on the boundary last year. But he is different from the rest, as he’ll likely keep his niche role as TE specialist. With his size, he was often matched up against opposing TE’s last year, and he was pretty solid.
Jalen Davis made the team last year after a good preseason. He didn’t see too much time on the field, however. Davis is someone who can play in the slot or outside, and can also contribute on special teams. He will certainly need to compete for his spot once again, but if he can match last year’s performance in this year’s preseason, his odds should be pretty good.
Remaining are the three undrafted rookies, Hood, George, and Daramy-Swaray. Each of them have intriguing upside.
Hood is a small school prospect who the Bengals are hoping turns into a diamond in the rough. Coming from such a small school, he is naturally still raw. However, his physical traits make him an ideal stash on the practice squad. His upside is quite high.
George also has plenty of upside. He faced tougher competition playing at Vanderbilt. His physical traits are good, and he flashed blanketing ability in coverage. He will need to show consistency. The practice squad could be where he ends up.
Daramy-Swaray was originally a 2019 UDFA out of Colgate. Most recently, Daramy-Swaray played in the German Football League. He played 12 games with the Postdam Royals, contributing 2 interceptions, 9 pass breakups, and 39 tackles. Daramy-Swaray will compete for a spot at the end of the roster or on the practice squad.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)