It was understandable on first pass if Cincinnati Bengals fans were a little confused about the team picking Jordan Battle in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
The Bengals had already signed Nick Scott in free agency to play alongside first-rounder Dax Hill and other needs besides safety seemed to be available on the board.
But Bengals coaches had other ideas. Namely, the 44-start Battle with the Alabama Crimson Tide, who usually pops on film and rarely makes mistakes, a trait pretty undervalued these days in a position called safety.
Both head coach Zac Taylor and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo explained a big reason for the pick, as captured by Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic:
Lou Anarumo: "The character is off the charts. We are always looking for that."
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) April 29, 2023
And on the in-game side:
Lou: He's very rarely out of position. You can see him communicating back there, which is important. Gets guys on the ground. And then the character is off the charts.
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) April 29, 2023
No specific word on how Battle will fit directly into the safety conversation, but it’s safe to presume based on his resume that he could push for breaking into the rotation early. Anarumo is known to like his three-safety looks, anyway.
Like our breakdown suggested, Battle could have a key role right away and is once again right on theme for a draft class that continues to hit needs before they become problems.
