Bengals Roster: Realistic expectations for Cam Taylor-Britt in 2023

With their second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Cam Taylor-Britt out of Nebraska. The pick was made to help boost the secondary and while it's only been one year, Taylor-Britt looks to be doing just that for the stripes.

While he missed the first half of his rookie season, Taylor-Britt didn't take long to adjust to the level of play in the pros. Yes, he had some rookie mistakes here and there but by the time the playoffs rolled around, he looked like he belonged in the NFL.

Taylor-Britt finished his rookie year with a PFF grade of 79.6 in the playoffs. Not bad for a rookie who hadn't played in games that big before.

What should Bengals fans expect from Cam Taylor-Britt in 2023?

Unlike last season, Taylor-Britt will start this year as one of the three starting cornerbacks. He sat behind Eli Apple last year but saw more playing time after Apple was benched and Taylor-Britt was able to return from his injury.

The plan this year is to start Taylor-Britt alongside Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton. Out of those three, Taylor-Britt is the only one under contract past this year so the hope is that he continues to grow in Lou Anarumo's defense.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the dreaded "sophomore slump". This sometimes happens to players who were dominant as rookies but then falter in their second years. Bengals fans are really hoping that Taylor-Britt can avoid the sophomore slump.

The expectation for him is to start and grow into more of a leadership role for this defense because after this year, he'll be one of the more veteran players in the secondary.