Cincinnati Bengals: Recent draft picks can round elite defense into form

Darqueze Dennard: The Slot Specialist

The Cincinnati Bengals have a shutdown corner in William Jackson, but that isn’t where the strength at cornerback ends. Darqueze Dennard has experienced a polarizing tenure, but in 2017, he found his niche: Slot coverage.

Dennard is far less effective when he’s out wide, but the Bengals have found a player who can contribute in multiple phases of the game.

Dennard allowed one reception per 10.2 slot coverage snaps in 2017, which ranked No. 12 in the NFL. The 0.88 yards per slot coverage snap that he allowed ranked No. 8 in the league, and his 6.9 cover snaps per target ranked No. 11.

Dennard still has some issues with playing the angles and limiting the opposition’s yardage after the catch, but he’s off to a solid start.

Furthermore, Dennard has emerged as one of the NFL’s truly elite run stoppers at the cornerback position. Amongst the eight cornerbacks who recorded at least 17 tackles in run defense in 2017, he was the only player who didn’t miss a single attempt.

With 21 tackles, zero missed tackles, and 10 stops, Dennard has firmly established himself as a valuable contributor to both the passing and run defenses.