Could the Cincinnati Bengals dip into the LSU well again this offseason?
It’s a question worth asking with the Tigers once again sending so many notable prospects to the draft.
One of those, defensive back Jay Ward, recently spoke at the scouting combine and noted how much he still watches former teammates Ja’Marr Chase and others.
“I watch them quite a bit,” Ward said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I played with two of them, so I like to watch my former teammates see what they’re doing. Going against (Chase) my freshman year was very competitive. It made a big impact. I don’t like to lose and Chase is very competitive. I battled him my freshman year. We had a few battles.”
It’s a fun little connection for Ward but perhaps something much more for the Bengals.
Ward has the culture fit the Bengals love as a senior winner from a big program, plus the locker room presence (he refused to skip his team’s final bowl game). He also has the versatility the Bengals love — he’s played slot corner, boundary corner, deep safety and in the box.
Projected as a mid-round pick and with the Bengals needing serious help when it comes to depth in the secondary, Ward might just be what the Bengals need on Day 3.
And as a bonus, it sure doesn’t hurt that the team can ask guys like Chase about him.
