The Cincinnati Bengals focused heavily on their secondary in the 2022 NFL Draft. How does the depth chart look now that those players are joining the team?
Entering this offseason, the offensive line was the biggest weakness on the Cincinnati Bengals‘ roster but the secondary was a unit that needed to be improved as well. Knowing that both Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell will hit free agency next spring and that Bates’ contract situation might not end well, the team spent half of their draft picks on addressing the secondary.
In the first two rounds, the Bengals added a safety and a cornerback with Daxton Hill joining them in the first round and Cam Taylor-Britt following in the second round. In the fifth round, the team added Toledo safety Tycen Anderson to the roster.
With these three gentlemen joining the defending AFC champions, what could the secondary depth chart look like? Let’s take a look.
All stats and snap counts courtesy of Pro Football Reference
LCB Starter: Chidobe Awuzie
Reserves: Cam Taylor-Britt, Jalen Davis, Allan George
Chidobe Awuzie returns for his second year with the Bengals and he ended up being one of the team’s best free-agent signings last year, finishing the year with a PFF grade of 83.3.
The Bengals spent a second-round pick in this year’s draft on Cam Taylor-Britt who will battle with Eli Apple for the other starting job this year. If he doesn’t beat Apple, however, he’ll likely slot in as Awuzie’s backup.
The other two names on the left side of the secondary are Jalen Davis and Allan George. Davis has spent the past two years in Cincinnati and George was an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt.
SS Starter: Vonn Bell
Reserves: Tycen Anderson, Brandon Wilson
Vonn Bell is entering the final year of his contract so this will be a big year for him as the strong safety in the Bengals’ secondary. He’s only 27 entering the season and will be 28 when he hits free agency, so another big contract is certainly possible for him if he performs well this year.
Behind Bell on the depth chart are Tycen Anderson and Brandon Wilson. Anderson was the Bengals’ fifth-round draft pick this year out of Toledo and is blazing fast. Wilson is entering his fifth year in Cincinnati and has mostly been a return specialist during his time in the Queen City.
FS Starter: Jessie Bates III
Reserves: Michael Thomas, Trayvon Henderson
At free safety, the starter — assuming he shows up — is Jessie Bates. The contract negotiations haven’t been going smoothly between Bates and the Bengals but it doesn’t benefit Bates to sit the season out if an extension isn’t agreed to. Just ask Le’Veon Bell how it went for him.
Behind Bates are Michael Thomas and Trayveon Henderson. Thomas joined Cincinnati in November of last season after having spent five years in Miami, two with the Giants, and one with the Texans. He played in 17% of defensive snaps last year. Henderson has spent the past three years in Cincinnati and played in 47% of defensive snaps during the two games he appeared in last year.
RCB Starter: Eli Apple
Reserves: Tre Flowers, Delonte Hood, John Brannon
On the right side of the secondary, Eli Apple should win the starting job there but it wouldn’t surprise me if Cam Taylor-Britt gave him a run for his money. Apple re-signed with Cincinnati after turning things around in 2021 midway through the year.
Behind Apple are Tre Flowers, John Brannon, and Delonte Hood. Flowers was a waiver claim last season and played pretty well against Travis Kelce in the AFC Championship Game, so it made sense to re-sign him for another season.
Brannon hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2020 when he was with the Chargers. He doesn’t have a ton of playing experience so he’ll have to put together a pretty good preseason to make the team.
Hood was an undrafted free agent out of Peru State and, as is the case with Brannon, will have to put together a nice campaign this summer.
NB Starter: Mike Hilton
Reserves: Daxton Hill, Bookie Radley-Hiles, Abu Daramy-Swaray
Lastly, we have the nickel corner and it’ll be led by Mike Hilton, who was another key free-agent signing last year. It was even better that Hilton was pried away from the Steelers and then came in and made an impact in the stripes’ secondary.
Daxton Hill is someone who could play a variety of positions in the secondary and that’s why the Bengals spent a first-round pick on him. Whether he ends up playing at safety if Bates doesn’t suit up this year or he’s used as a backup in a few different spots, Hill is going to be quite the weapon in this secondary.
The other two names to follow at nickel are UDFAs Bookie Radley-Hiles and Abu Daramy-Swaray. It’s hard for UDFAs to make a big enough impression to make the final roster but it’s certainly possible. Radley-Hiles is someone who could fit what Lou Anarumo looks for in his defenses but he’ll have to prove that he can carve out a role in the preseason.
The Bengals spent three of their six draft picks on players to add in their secondary and hopefully that helps the unit improve this year.