Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle has big expectations chasing him into his second year.
Battle, a third-round pick by the Bengals in 2023, broke into the rotation last year and generally showed the upside of a long-term starter over the course of 48 percent of the base defense’s snaps.
That alone adds hype. But so does something like a second-year breakout candidate list from The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner that calls out Battle:
Branch is another player who might have outperformed this list, but he did lose several games to injury last season. More importantly, Detroit plans to further expand his role in 2024 — the Lions believe he’s a future Pro Bowler. Cincinnati could say the same about Battle, another ex-Alabama safety who looks like a potential perennial stud.
What will be interesting to see from Battle is how he fits into the secondary puzzle in 2024.
While moving former first-rounder Dax Hill to cornerback, the Bengals brought back Vonn Bell and brought new arrival Geno Stone aboard via free agency.
Bell and Stone could see more snaps than Battle next season. But defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo also likes to run three-safety sets, whether it’s actually bringing on another safety or sliding some, such as Mike Hilton, into the role in certain packages, too.
Either way, the glimpses of Battle from last season suggested he’s indeed worthy of being on breakout lists and if nothing else, he’s undoubtedly part of the long-term plans for the unit.
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