Cincinnati Bengals draft profile: Noah Igbinoghene

Noah Igbinoghene is an Auburn cornerback, and someone the Cincinnati Bengals should seriously consider at pick 33. Here is a draft profile for him:

Noah Igbinoghene  came into Auburn as a speedy wide receiver out of Hewitt-Trussville high school in Alabama. The 5’11, 200lb corner competed in the long jump and triple jump for Auburn in college, and made the switch to cornerback after his freshman season. He is also a nice option for the Cincinnnati Bengals.

Igbinoghene’s stats don’t jump out at you when you look at them, but his film is very impressive. He racked up 92 total tackles in his career at Auburn, 42 of which were last year, his junior season. Getting an athletic corner like Igbinoghene would be a huge addition to the Bengals secondary. The 21 year old corner ran a 4.48 40 time at the NFL combine (same time as Jeff Okudah). The best comparison combine wise on the Bengals would be Darqueze Dennard. Although their play styles are different, they are the same size and Dennard ran a 4.51 at his combine. After watching film, here are the strengths and weaknesses of Igbinoghene:

Strengths:

While some of his abilities are still developing due to him switching from receiver to corner two years ago, his body control is phenomenal. His movement at the corner position makes him a great development for any team needing a corner. He can flip his hips and find the ball, or plant and close in on ball carriers. His speed and acceleration not only put him in position in coverage, but make him a factor in the run game. As mentioned, he is very good at recognizing the run, finding the ball and closing in on the ball carrier. He is a solid tackler and his awareness puts him in the right position to make a play. Besides his abilities at corner, he has experience as a return man and is capable on special teams.

Weaknesses:

He is still developing, as he only made the transition to corner two years ago. His man coverage skills can use a little work, and his ball skills aren’t ideal at this moment in time. This could be a problem, but his athletic ability and football IQ make him a player with a very high ceiling.

Igbinoghene has the ability to be a great cornerback in the NFL, and continuing to develop his ball skills and man coverage skills can make a huge difference in his NFL career. A lot of Bengals fans want someone who can come in and contribute right now to be the pick at 33, and it is reasonable to think Igbinoghene can contribute right now, but he is still be a work in progress.

If he can work on some of his weaknesses and improve at the next level, getting a defensive player with such high potential could be a smart move for a team like Cincinnati Bengals.