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It has been tough to ignore the simmering Jordan Batlte hype coming out of Cincinnati Bengals practices this week.
The third-round rookie picked up some notable first-team reps during practices as veteran safety Nick Scott continues to work his way back from injury.
None of the hype is too surprising, though, given how the Bengals talked about Battle after they drafted him, fully suggesting he could see more of the field than expected as a rookie despite his selection coming as a surprise to onlookers.
In the aftermath of those practices, plenty of veteran teammates have had encouraging things to say, too. Scott, for example, pointed out how quickly Battle continues to pick things up.
“J.B. is going to be fine,” Scott said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “He’s going to be a guy that can contribute right away. It’s pretty evident he’s there mentally. He understands concepts and everything like that and he’s physical enough … I can’t stress enough how good of an understanding he has of the things going on.”
Safety and special teams captain Michael Thomas, who would know better than most, hit on similar points.
“You can tell he’s definitely polished. He was, what, a four-year starter at Alabama?” Thomas said. “He looks good out there. We’re all trying to learn from each other. He’s not shying away from opportunities. You like to see confidence out of the young guys.”
Even veteran cornerback Mike Hilton got in on the praise: “The coaches are showing trust in him keeping up with the ones. He’s being vocal and he’s showing us he’s able to communicate.”
This time of year, it’s easy to wave off praise for players who are in the best shape of their life and other cliches. But the hype around Battle feels real, given his experience, what he was drafted to do and the chances given to him by coaches already.
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