The Cincinnati Bengals have seen a number of their 2024 NFL draft selections pop up described as “sleepers” so far in the aftermath of the event.
One of those, though, is a guy coaches have been adamant carries big expectations to the pros right away — cornerback Josh Newton.
And now the fifth-rounder has popped back up again in headlines. Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar says Newton is Cincinnati’s biggest steal this offseason:
If Uncle Lou likes him, we’re in. Not that we already weren’t. The 5′ 10⅝”, 190-pound Newton can play inside and outside (which is how the Bengals envision his deployment), and last season, he allowed 25 catches on 52 targets for 303 yards, 120 yards after the catch, one touchdown, one interception, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 64.8.
Newton’s appeal to coordinator Lou Anarumo and the team was pretty obvious even before they made the selection.
What’s interesting now, though is the long-term projection. Newton could be the Mike Hilton successor in the slot, sure — but former first-rounder Dax Hill is officially moving to corner and might be best there, too.
Then again, maybe it’s not all that confusing — there’s no such thing as too many good cornerbacks in the QB-happy AFC right now.
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