The Cincinnati Bengals made a lot of changes to the defensive side of the ball this offseason, bringing in a lot of new faces, both with veterans and draft picks.
Dexter Lawrence II, Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, Bryan Cook, and Cashius Howell are the big-name additions this offseason. But the linebacker and cornerback rooms didn't get such a big-name addition this offseason.
Fortunately, as ESPN's Ben Baby highlighted, the Bengals might've found a new cornerback option in a 2024 draft pick who impressed during offseason workouts thanks to an interception of Joe Burrow.
Bengals might've found a new CB option in 2024 draft pick Josh Newton
"There weren't many team reps during offseason workouts, but Newton made the most of his chances," Baby writes. "The third-year cornerback filled in as an outside corner and had an interception in a 7-on-7 period, Joe Burrow's lone offseason blemish."
Josh Newton, the Bengals' 2024 fifth-round draft pick with the No. 149 overall selection, is a 25-year-old former TCU cornerback who's made a few starts and seen some playing time the last few years for Cincinnati.
This past season, he made just two starts in 14 games, recording three passes defended with 15 total tackles while allowing a 99.9 passer rating.
Back in 2024, his rookie season, he allowed a 94.7 passer rating in 17 games, with six starts, while having one interception and seven passes defended.
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Newton isn't a huge piece of the Bengals' defense right now, but after an impressive showing during offseason workouts, there's a chance he's climbing up the depth chart and could challenge Dax Hill and DJ Turner for playing time.
Neither current starter is likely to lose his job to Newton, but if the 2024 draft pick can at least start to challenge for playing time, it would be a nice boon for the Bengals to find a quality depth CB option without making any additions.
At the very least, Newton might now be more in line to be the primary outside cornerback backup. It's not just about the starters; the Bengals need better depth, and Newton might be just that in the CB room for Cincinnati this upcoming season.
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