Bengals Roster: Realistic expectations for Jordan Battle in 2023
With their third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Jordan Battle out of Alabama. The Bengals lost both of their starting safeties in the offseason but the plan was to have last year's first-rounder Dax Hill and free-agent signee Nick Scott take over. Battle gave them further insurance at the position.
During his final season with the Crimson Tide, Battle appeared in 13 games and notched 71 tackles, two defended passes, and one interception.
What should Bengals fans expect from Jordan Battle in 2023?
As long as he stays healthy, Battle is going to see a significant amount of playing time during his rookie year. He might not initially win the starting job over Scott but even if he doesn't, he'll see plenty of playing time in the secondary.
If Scott gets injured or doesn't live up to the hype, Battle will surely be the next man up and from there, he might not relinquish the job. The Bengals drafted him with this idea in mind of keeping their secondary strong as they enter the portion of their journey where they need to start paying their key players.
manual
Next. 3 Best Moves of 2023 Offseason. dark
Battle looked good in the preseason opener, totaling three tackles, one tackle for loss, and one defended pass. He looked the part of a strong contributor for this secondary even in just limited action. That should excite Bengals fans moving forward.