6 options at cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2022 NFL Draft

1. Roger McCreary (Auburn)

• 22-years-old
• 6’0″, 190 pounds

Roger McCreary could be one of the more polished cornerbacks that is expected to be available when Cincinnati selects at the end of the first round. He started to catch the attention of NFL scouts this past season as a senior when he showed his clean-cut approach as a defensive back.

In 13 games as a starter, he played a vast 830 snaps, logging 49 tackles, two interceptions, 13 passes defended, and an impressive 57.8 QBR when targeted. As a result, he received first-team All-SEC recognition, was named a first-team All-American team by The Athletic, and made ESPN’s and the Senior Bowl’s All-American teams.

McCreary also thrives in press coverage, and a lot like Booth, he is the type of defensive back that you can leave on an island and trust that he will be able to make plays and shut down the wide receiver he is covering.

McCreary could be the most realistic option at 31 for the Bengals, but he will have to improve in zone coverage to match Lou Anarumo’s defensive scheme. He isn’t bad in the zone, but he struggles with slants across the middle. He has smaller strides which can affect his overall speed at times. He ran a 4.50 40-yard dash which isn’t slow but doesn’t match some of the top cornerback speeds.

How do you feel about the Cincinnati Bengals adding any of these cornerbacks?