We move back to the Defensive side of the LOS and talk CB. We lost our CB#1 but have been preparing for it. So where your got CTB/ DJ/Mike/CB4

IMPORTANT: This poll in this thread allows you to vote twice. Once for where you rank our CBs and once for who you think will have the better stats at the end of the year (Dax Hill or Josh Nelson)

As always, the competition:
ARZ: SEAN MURPHYBUNTING/GARRETT WILLIAMS/ ELIJAH JONES/MAX MELTON
ATL: AJ TERRELL/ CLARK PHILLIPS/ ANTONIO HAMILTON/ MIKE HUGHES
BAL: MARLON HUMPHREY/ BRANDON STEPHENS/ NATE WIGGINS/ ATHUR MAULET
BUF: RASUL DOUGLAS/ CHRISTIAN BENFORD/ KAAIR ELAM/ TARON JOHNSON
CAR: DANE JACKSON/ JAYCEE HORN/ TROY HILL/ D’SHAWN JAMISON
CHI: JAYLON JOHNSON/ TYRIQUE STEVENSON/ TERELL SMITH/ KYLER GORDON
CLV: DENZEL WARD/ MARTIN EMERSON/ GREG NEWSOME/ JUSTIN HARDEE
DAL: DARON BLAND/ TREVON DIGGS/ NAHSLON WRIGHT/ JOUDAN LEWIS
DEN: LEVI WALLACE/ PAT SURTAIN/ JAQUAN MCMILLAN/ DAMARRI MATHIS
DET: CARLTON DAVIS/ TERRION ARNOLD/ ENNIS RAKESTRAW/ AMIL ROBERTSON
GBP: JAIRE ALEXANDER/ ERIC STOKES/ KEISEAN NIXON/ CARRINGTON VALENTINE
HOU: DEREK STINGLEY JR/ JEFF OKUDAH/ CJ HENDERSON/ KAMARI LASSITER
IND: JUJU BRENTS/ KENNY MOORE/ JAYLON JONES/ JAYLIN SIMPSON
JAX: RONALD DARBY/ TYSON CAMPBELL/ DARNELL SAVAGE/ MONTARIC BROWN
KCC: TRENT MCDUFFIE/ JAYLEN WATSON/ JOSH WILLIAMS/ NIC JONES
LAC: ASSANTE SAMUEL/ KRISTIN FULTON/ JASIR TAYLOR/ CAM HART
LAR: TREDAVIOUS WHITE/ DARIOUS WILLIAMS/ COBIE DURANT/ QUENTIN LAKE
LVR: JACK JONES/ NATE HOBBS/ JAK BENNETT/ BRANDON FACYSON
MIA: KENDALL FULLER/ JALEN RAMSEY/ KADER KOHOU/ NIK NEEDHAM
MIN: BYRON MURPHY/ AKAYLEB EVANS/ MEKHI BLACKMON/ SHAR GRIFFIN
NEP: JONATHAN JONES/ CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ/ MARCUS JONES/ SHAUN WADE
NOS: MARSHAON LATTIMORE/ KOOLAID MCKINSTRY/ PAUL ADEBO/ ALONTAE TAYLOR
NYG: CORDALE FLOTT/ DEONTE BANKS/ AARON ROBINSON/ DRU PHILLIPS
NYJ: SAUCE GARDNER/ DJ REED/ MICHAEL CARTER/ QWAN STIGGERS
PHI: QUINYON MITCHELL/ DARIUS SLAY/ JAMES BRADBERRY/ AVONTE MADDOX
PIT: JOEY PORTER/ DONTE JACKSON/ CAMERON SUTTON/ JOSIAH SCOTT
SEA: DEVON WITHERSPOON/ RIQ WOOLEN/ TRE BRAOWN/ MICHAEL JACKSON
SFF: CHARVIOUS WARD/ DORE LENOIR/ RENARDO GREEN/ ISSAC YIADOM
TBB: JAMEL DEAN/ ZYON MCCOLLUM/ JOSH HAYES/ CHRISTIAN IZIEN
TEN: CHIDOBE AWUZIE/ LJARIUS SNEED/ ROGER MCCREARY/ TRE AVERY
WAS: EMMANUEL FORBERS/ BEN STJUSTE/ MIKE SAINRISTILL/ MICHAEL DAVIS

TOP FA’s: XAVIEN HOWARD/ JC JACKSON/ ADOREE JACKSON/ STEPHON GILMORE

This is the position group that worries me the most.

We only have 2 proven CB starters on the roster, CTB and Hilton.

Dax is unproven as an NFL CB…
DJ Turner had an up and down rookie season and faded down the stretch – questions remain.
DJ Ivey is coming off injury and Josh Newton is 5th round rookie.

I would really like to see the Bengals FO make a run at Stephon Gilmore or another veteran CB before training camp

I voted 13-19 as losing Chido could hurt on the outside if DJ Turner doesn't make the jump as a sophomore. CTB I think could be an
All Pro soon though and Hilton is still a top Slot Corner and I think Dax could be just as good down the road. Fig Newton is getting mad
raves this Offseason by all his teammates. This Corner room has the upside to be a top 5 room, but too many unknowns with losing
Chido to vote any higher than mid pack at this moment. I am with DesertBengal in wanting to add a Vet after cuts.

BTW I think DJ Turner will make the jump and become an All Pro type Corner just the same as CTB. Elite speed with fluid hips are rare.

They aight...

We need a guy named Koolaid on our team.

This is one of the tougher groups to rank. CTB has Pro Bowl potential but he has to stay healthy. Turner showed flashes but was pretty bad overall last season. And Dax will be playing a new position. We know what we’re getting with Hilton at least.

Middle of the pack for now. A lot hinges on Turner taking a step forward.

The group has potential: CTB needs to stay healthy, Hill/Turner need to be worth the high pick investment, and I'm hopeful the rookie Newton ends up having success like CTB.

Top 5 EASY

(06-22-2024, 09:14 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: Top 5 EASY

That's the spirit

The CB groups around the league were a lot stronger than I was expecting before I went through the list.

Went 13-19. With CTB, DJ, Hill, and Hilton playing the majority of snaps. Could easily jump in to top 5 like Frank says though . Two second round steals, a first round steal, and the best slot in the league fighting for snaps. This young group getting to play together another year might make a big jump.

I think Dax has more snaps than Newton. Newton will only see time if someone gets hurt or we are in a blowout.

(06-22-2024, 09:14 AM)Frank Booth Wrote: Top 5 EASY

Way to add nothing to the conversation as usual...

(06-22-2024, 07:25 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Way to add nothing to the conversation as usual...

Im not the bad guy. I love you

Would love to bring In a guy like Gilmore on a one year deal. Bottom third in the nfl… but upside/ I suppose due to youth. I guess that’s my glass half full spirit in me. The other side would be that there is just as much risk for a downturn.

I guess this begs the question... If this group was all this bad, why did we not pick the best CB (we literally had our pick!) in the draft instead of Mims?

(Note: I actually said this when it was our turn to draft in the 1st round. I thought we should have traded down about 5 spots or so and picked either Mims or the best CB there as there hadn't been one taken.)

(06-23-2024, 12:20 AM)EatonFan Wrote: I guess this begs the question... If this group was all this bad, why did we not pick the best CB (we literally had our pick!) in the draft instead of Mims?

(Note:  I actually said this when it was our turn to draft in the 1st round.  I thought we should have traded down about 5 spots or so and picked either Mims or the best CB there as there hadn't been one taken.)

After a while, you gotta dance with the one who brought ya. The 2 years before this draft we spent a 1st Rounder and 2 second rounders on CB. 

(06-23-2024, 01:20 AM)bfine32 Wrote: After a while, you gotta dance with the one who brought ya. The 2 years before this draft we spent a 1st Rounder and 2 second rounders on CB. 

While that's true to some extent, if they aren't doing the job at the level you want, you have to draft/free agent another dude.  If for nothing else, you need the depth.  You can't have star players at every position.  I get that.  I like Mims.  I think he'll be good.  Given the circumstances of the draft when there literally were no CBs taken at our pick, I'd take the opportunity to trade down and pick up a stellar RT (He may have still been there) or a top tier CB AND get another 3rd rounder.  Just my take.  Still happy with Mims.

I went 13-19. Hilton is one of the top slot CB's in the game, CTB was good last year, and the depth appears pretty solid with Turner, Newton, and Ivy. Hill is a question mark at the other spot, but if he can adapt and CTB can take another step, they could be ranked a lot higher than that by season's end.

(06-23-2024, 01:20 PM)Whatever Wrote: I went 13-19. Hilton is one of the top slot CB's in the game, CTB was good last year, and the depth appears pretty solid with Turner, Newton, and Ivy. Hill is a question mark at the other spot, but if he can adapt and CTB can take another step, they could be ranked a lot higher than that by season's end.

A little high for my blooms, but This is pretty spot on.

I would say 16-24 would be the most appropriate place for them. Again, this will either improve with development, or can crater again. I do think CTB is a top 32 CB in the league, Hilton is a top 10 Slot CB… but the other outside spot and 4th CB might leave something to be desired.

(06-23-2024, 10:01 AM)EatonFan Wrote: While that's true to some extent, if they aren't doing the job at the level you want, you have to draft/free agent another dude.  If for nothing else, you need the depth.  You can't have star players at every position.  I get that.  I like Mims.  I think he'll be good.  Given the circumstances of the draft when there literally were no CBs taken at our pick, I'd take the opportunity to trade down and pick up a stellar RT (He may have still been there) or a top tier CB AND get another 3rd rounder.  Just my take.  Still happy with Mims.

There were no CB's taken by our pick because it wasn't a good CB class. I mean, a MAC guy and a guy who runs a 4.51 40 were the top two CB prospects.  That should tell you something about the quality at the top of the class.  

Beyond that, you have to give draft picks time to develop.  You can't spend premium picks on CB's and give up after a year and spend more premium picks there unless you're totally set every where else.  We aren't.  

Our CB room is filled to the brim with unknowns.

Cam Taylor Britt is our best outside cornerback, but he struggles to stay healthy. He was injured in training camp in his rookie year and missed the first 7 weeks of the season, and in 2023 he had to go on the IR after injuring his ankle in week 12 and then his quadricep during practice the following week.

Dax Hill seems to be in the conversation for #2 CB and he has not really played outside corner until now. He has the athletic profile to succeed there, but will he? Who is to say?

And then DJ Turner looked pretty good at the beginning of the year, but got worse and worse as the season went on, culminating in a horrific 51.5 PFF score.

We lost Chidobe Awuzie in free agency and didn't bother replacing him in free agency and then waited until the 5th round to draft rookie Josh Newton.

Newton came into the 2023 college football season as a potential first round pick, but inconsistent and poor play throughout 2023 (as well as an underwhelming 6.21 RAS with a 4.51 40 time) dropped him all the way into the middle of day 3. There's a chance that 2023 was the anomaly and he really is a first round talent but, again, that's just a big question mark.

DJ Ivey is a 7th round pick coming back from a major, late season surgery, so expecting anything from him is not a good idea and Jalen Davis is a big unknown at NCB since he has played very sparingly.

The one stalwart of the group is Mike Hilton, but he is confined to the slot due to his size and, quietly, has struggled with slot fades last season. Something that our opponents noticed and exploited. He's also a free agent at the end of the season and I wonder if we'd re-sign him when he'll be 31 at that time.

No matter how you cut it, this is one of the most unproven CB rooms in the NFL.

Admittedly, I selected my choice of 27-32 just based on our outside cornerbacks. I should have slowed down and included NCB, in which case I'd say 20-26.

I think somewhere around mid pack. The talent is there, CTB has gotten more seasoning, and the veteran presence at safety should help what we saw last season. They could leap to around top 10 if everything pans out.