Bengals close out draft class with cornerback DJ Ivey
With their eight picks, the Cincinnati Bengals double-dipped at two positions. They went with two wide receivers on Saturday, and then added DJ Ivey in the seventh round to go with second-round pick DJ Turner II. Ivey, a fifth-year player out of Miami, brings an incredible amount of playing experience at the cornerback position. He […]
With their eight picks, the Cincinnati Bengals double-dipped at two positions. They went with two wide receivers on Saturday, and then added DJ Ivey in the seventh round to go with second-round pick DJ Turner II.
Ivey, a fifth-year player out of Miami, brings an incredible amount of playing experience at the cornerback position. He played five years and nearly 2,500 career snaps for the Hurricanes.
Ivey progressively got better as his career progressed in South Florida, and his physical dimensions make him an intriguing late-round addition. His 32 5/8" arms gives him inordinate length, and has plenty of speed to go with it.
Here's a snippet from Dane Brugler's NFL Draft guide:
Ivey uses his long arms to jam and stay connected in his turn-and-run along the sideline. He has the short-area footwork to match routes, because his eye balance and lack of route recognition leads to wasted steps out of brakes and separation for the receiver.
Being a late seventh-round pick, Ivey isn't likely to make the final roster, but should make some noise during training camp and preseason action. He joins a completely stacked cornerback group assuming Chidobe Awuzie comes back 100% healthy for the start of the season.
Expect to find Ivey on the Bengals' practice squad come September.
