Bengals: Cam Taylor-Britt has already mastered not letting WR's get open
The Cincinnati Bengals went heavy on the defensive side of the ball in 2023 in the NFL Draft, but they also did that the year before. After taking safety Dax Hill in the first round, the Bengals selected cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, giving them a nice foundation for the future in their defensive backfield. Taylor-Britt suffered […]
The Cincinnati Bengals went heavy on the defensive side of the ball in 2023 in the NFL Draft, but they also did that the year before.
After taking safety Dax Hill in the first round, the Bengals selected cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, giving them a nice foundation for the future in their defensive backfield.
Taylor-Britt suffered an abdomen injury that put him on injured reserve until last October. He made his first appearance in Week 8, and his first start a week later, and once Chidobe Awuzie went down with a torn ACL, Taylor-Britt was a regular starter for the rest of the 2022 season.
The former Nebraska Cornhusker took full advantage of his opportunities as he allowed an open-target percentage of 30.4 which was the seventh-lowest for all cornerbacks who faced at least 50 snaps in coverage.
It's worth noting that the sample size of 50 targets disqualified Cincinnati’s Chidobe Awuzie, whose 20.6% open-target rate against on 48 targets would have comfortably topped this list had he not missed the second half of the season with a torn ACL. However, his rookie teammate Cam Taylor-Britt picked up a lot of the slack in his absence. Taylor-Britt played particularly well in the postseason, putting up a very impressive 81.9 coverage grade and a 35.7% open-target rate on 135 snaps during the Bengals’ run to an AFC Championship appearance.-Jim Wyman, PFF
Taylor-Britt certainly proved he could handle the load of being relied on as a starter. However the Bengals did use another second-round pick in April on DJ Turner who possesses elite speed (ran 4.26 in the 40-yard dash), athleticism (38.5-inch vertical jump, 10'11" broad jump), and superior technique, so Taylor-Britt will have his work cut out for him to secure one of the outside corner spots for the Bengals in 2023.
When training camp rolls around, Taylor-Britt versus Turner will be one of the most intriguing battles. Regardless of the outcome, Taylor-Britt is already showing that he's a baller.
National media feels Bengals’ defender will take the next step in 2023
The potential is there.
Feature image via Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
