4 significant questions for the Bengals cornerbacks this season

Will the depth be reliable?

Did the Bengals make the right decisions regarding who stayed on the final roster? If Awuzie or Taylor-Britt miss time, the two backup outside corners are rookies. Do they need veteran help? 

Awuzie has only played an entire season once. Turner is already dealing with a hamstring injury. Odds are Cincinnati will have to depend on their depth at some point this season. 

The team was extremely fortunate to have Eli Apple and Taylor-Britt step up in a big way last season. As a rookie, Taylor-Britt performed admirably in Awuzie’s absence. He performed so well that there was never a hint of doubt or a question whether he would be one of the starters this season. 

Is there another player we should feel that strongly about? Jalen Davis is an excellent backup slot corner for Mike Hilton. However, should he be counted on to play on the boundary if necessary? If so, how would he fair out there? Could Hilton fill that role if needed?

If DJ Ivey were to have to start a game in November, how confident should we be that he could perform up to the standard that Taylor-Britt set last year?

Turner is the other rookie cornerback on the team. He is a promising young player who we should expect to play well as a rookie when he is called on. We will keep our fingers crossed that Turner gets his hamstring fully healthy before he needs to see significant playing time.

The depth behind the starters, especially the outside corners, is relatively untested. Let’s hope the team made the right decisions with their roster selections over other free-agent and waiver-wire options. 

If the cornerbacks for the Bengals remain healthy, they could once again have one of the best secondary units in the league. Hopefully, if the team does need to rely on their depth, the rookies like DJ Turner and DJ Ivey can step up like Taylor-Britt.  

These are just a few issues around the cornerbacks that will be handled throughout the season. Even though there are a few questions to be answered, this group of cornerbacks could once again be one of the best units in the NFL.