It wasn't exactly planned, but the Cincinnati Bengals exit the first two days of the NFL Draft exclusively with defensive players. Cornerback DJ Turner II and safety Jordan Battle lock in a back-to-back-to-back defensive start to the draft for the second year in a row.

In case it isn't obvious, that's never happened in a two-year span before for the franchise.

Cincinnati is facing two different situations on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they're forecasting how they're going to pay both Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase within the next 16 months, give or take, after inevitably making Joe Burrow the highest-paid player in NFL history.

The repercussions of that plan involves getting younger and by default, cheaper on defense. Adding and developing affordable replacements for high-priced veterans so the unit stays afloat while the offense is thriving on high-priced cornerstone pieces.

This was first reflected last year when they spent five of their six draft picks on defensive players. They landed two future starters in Dax Hill and Cam Talyor-Britt along with hopeful depth pieces in Zach Carter and Tycen Anderson all in the first five rounds.

2023 is looking like more of the same with JuanDrago "DJ" Turner II and Jordan Battle joining first-round pick Myles Murphy. Turner and Battle become the fourth and fifth defensive backs drafted by the Bengals in the last 12 months.

Starting with Turner, his fit is more clear. He'll push for playing time at cornerback and most likely end up as the first one off the bench, a role that has seen ample snaps over the past two seasons in Cincinnati. Think of him as the true Eli Apple replacement for this season, with the expectation of him starting in 2024 and beyond.

The Bengals were very interested in this cornerback class and had to wait a day to find the right one after the top four went off the board in the first round. Turner became cornerback No. 9 taken in such a deep and talented group, and there's a good argument that he's better than a handful of those taken before him. That 4.26 speed is not-so-secretly a part of it. 

"You'll see guys that have great time speed and it doesn't match their play speed and vice versa. But this guy can run and you see it on tape," defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said of Turner's speed. "If he gets out of position, he can get back in it because of his speed. You know, DBs in our league today, they're gonna get beat. They're gonna get out of position and this guy the recovery speed to get back in and maybe make a play on the ball. So that's that's one of the things that we really liked."

So the Bengals added a cornerback. That was expected entering the week. You couldn’t have convinced as many people of the same when it came to safety. It just didn't seem to add up. A relatively weak class, a first-rounder drafted last year to start, and a veteran signed on for three years to play next to him. Who could've seen it coming?

Whether or not it was planned, the Bengals gave themselves insurance at a position that is facing massive turnover. Battle was one of the best safeties in this class and is an experienced starter at multiple positions in the secondary. His willingness to play multiple spots is just one aspect of his "A+ character" according to the team.

"I'll play whatever I can to help the defense," Battle said after being drafted. "Whether that's sitting in the box, the deep part of the field, in the slot. I just want to show my versatility on the next level. That's something I didn't get the chance to do in college."

Battle, like Turner, was among the very best players available when the Bengals were on the clock. The BPA strategy is never completely voided of nuance, especially inside the top 100 picks. There's a plan in place for these guys to get on the field sooner or later, whether the coaches say that outright or not. 

Figuring out that plan in real time will be one of the more fascinating stories of the year for Cincinnati.