Bengals experience a little déjà vu while working out late round draft prospect at his pro day
Replacing Jessie Bates III has become easier said than done for the Cincinnati Bengals.Drafting Dax Hill on top of signing Nick Scott proved fruitless in compensating for Bates' departure at free safety. Geno Stone has now been brought in to shore up the position for good, and will team up with Vonn Bell and Jordan […]
Replacing Jessie Bates III has become easier said than done for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Drafting Dax Hill on top of signing Nick Scott proved fruitless in compensating for Bates' departure at free safety. Geno Stone has now been brought in to shore up the position for good, and will team up with Vonn Bell and Jordan Battle.
Cincinnati's safety room appears set, but that didn't stop the team from going back to where they found Bates in the first place.
The latest pro day appearance made by the Bengals was at Bates' alma mater of Wake Forest. Per Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy, one of Cincinnati's defensive backs coaches (presumably safeties coach Jordan Kovacs) worked out safety Malik Mustapha, who wore the No. 3 jersey for the Demon Deacons.
Bates was also No. 3 for Wake Forest, interestingly enough.
Where Mustapha and Bates differ is specific position. The former has been more of a box player while the latter has earned his reputation playing free safety. Mustapha is also projected to be drafted in the later rounds, and Bates was a late second-round pick made by Cincinnati all the way back in 2018.
A Day 3 pick at safety is not completely off the table for the Bengals, though the position group looks very much set with Stone, Bell, Battle, and third-year player Tycen Anderson. Hill's exact position is unknown at this juncture, but he can still add something there in a pinch.
Mustapha is not Bates, no matter how much the Bengals would like him to be, but he could feasibly become one of their 10 draft picks next month.
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