4 positions Bengals could draft in first round of 2023 NFL Draft, 3 to steer clear of

Could Draft: Cornerback

At first glance, the Bengals' cornerback room is great and it might not seem like it needs to be heavily approached during this draft. You got two good vets in the lockdown corner Chidobe Awuzie and the do-it-all Mike Hilton, as well as the young Cam Taylor-Britt going into his second year, who flashed a lot of potential during his rookie season. As for depth, there's Sidney Jones IV, Jalen Davis, Allan George, and Marvell Tell III.

However, there are a couple of important factors that could attribute to them potentially drafting a corner that I left out. Most notable is the ACL injury Awuzie suffered during their first game against the Browns on Halloween Night.

ACL tears are not easy to come back from, especially for a position that requires as much mobility as cornerback does, so it's highly likely that even when he returns, he won't be 100% or as effective as he used to be, at least at first.

Also worth mentioning is the fact Awuzie is on a contract year, and Hilton will be on one next year. Realistically, I think they probably could re-sign these two, who have both been a big part of the resurgence of the Cincinnati defense that's taken place the past two years, however, if this off-season has taught us anything, it's that we have to be prepared for anyone whose contract is up to move on to another team.

Drafting a corner to anticipate this wouldn't be a bad idea, and this is one of the better classes to do it. It includes players-- although the chances of them actually falling as far as the Bengals' pick is very low-- like Devon Witherspoon from Illinois, Christian Gonzales from Oregon, and Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State.

As far as who the Bengals might be able to get with the No. 28 pick, Cam Smith out of South Carolina is a popular option, as he is described as having "instinctive eyes" and being "anticipatory", though has his drawbacks, as any prospect does, specifically when it comes to his speed.