Bengals coach compares Day 3 draft pick's mentality to that of ascending star player
The Cincinnati Bengals are lucky to have cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. The former second-round pick is rounding out into a leader in the secondary following an impressive second season.Taylor-Britt is locked in as a starter, which cannot be said for rookie corner Josh Newton. Cincinnati's fifth-round pick is set to compete for standing in the depth […]
The Cincinnati Bengals are lucky to have cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. The former second-round pick is rounding out into a leader in the secondary following an impressive second season.
Taylor-Britt is locked in as a starter, which cannot be said for rookie corner Josh Newton. Cincinnati's fifth-round pick is set to compete for standing in the depth chart starting next month in training camp.
Newton may not have a clear path to snaps like Taylor-Britt has already earned, but their position coach sees an important similarity between the two.
The consensus on Newton is how rare and intense his intangibles are as a player. He approaches the game with such professionalism and passion, it's hard to not take him seriously.
According to cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, this was also evident in Taylor-Britt when he was first making a name for himself.
"He makes people uncomfortable, which I love," Burks said of Newton to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. "Because he's serious. He's got an edge. He's one of these guys who takes it to heart. He wakes up and wants to be the best. He's wired the right way and whenever you're wired that way, it does make people uncomfortable because he's separating himself mentally.
"Cam [Taylor-Britt] was the same way coming in."
In regards to players on the current roster, being compared to Taylor-Britt is nothing to dismiss. The third-year player was playing at a Pro Bowl level last year before injury disrupted his season. He's quickly ascended into a leadership role due to the respect he's earned from his mentality, and how it translates onto the field.
It's not too farfetched to say Newton can go down that same path in time.
Newton's chances at proving himself on the field will have to be earned as a Day 3 pick. Luckily, the Bengals have had to continuously rely on their depth at cornerback in recent years. Continuation of that trend bodes well for Newton to eventually see the field, and put his hard work to the test when it matters most.
It sounds like Burks won't hesitate to let him loose if and when that time comes.
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