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It’s hard to knock the Cincinnati Bengals for identifying a problem area, both in the short and the long-term, and knocking it out.
They did it with the offensive line in free agency and they’re doing it again in the 2022 NFL draft. After using their first-round pick on safety Dax Hill, the team then traded up in the second round to take Nebraska cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt.
Britt, 5’11” and 196 pounds, has been a commonly mocked player to the Bengals by both us and pretty much everyone.
Why?
He’s a typical Bengals pick who has proven leadership as a captain and huge production, including five interceptions and 22 passes defended over the course of his college career. It sure doesn’t hurt that he took snaps across multiple positions and has elite athleticism, too, highlighted by that 4.38 40-yard dash.
That’s the same speed as Dax Hill, by the way, something Lou Anarumo says is a must-have for his scheme:
Lou Anarumo said the No. 1 trait outside CBs in his system must have is speed and then next is to have long arms
Asked this question specific to his system #Bengals
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) April 30, 2022
Britt fits the bill with flying colors. If there hadn’t been a run on cornerbacks in the second round or some can’t-miss player still on the board, it would be easier to knock this pick.
But the reality is, coughing up a late-round pick in a trade to go get a guy who is a system and culture fit and can help right now and perhaps be an every-down starter later is a pretty good value near the end of the second round.
Predictable? Maybe, but this is the type of move that can help keep the Bengals predictably positioned as contenders.
Grade: B
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