Cincinnati Bengals Film Breakdown: What Alabama Safety Jordan Battle Adds to the Defense

Cincinnati took Battle in the third-round (95th overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Author:
Mike Santagata
Publish date:
May 9, 2023 8:11 AM EDT

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The Bengals selected Alabama safety Jordan Battle with the 95th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Battle is one of the only players to ever come in and start as a true freshman on Nick Saban’s secondary. He made 45 starts games in four seasons with the Crimson Tide. He’s a player who is almost always doing everything right, so it’s easy to see why he became a favorite among Alabama’s coaching staff.

Battle was a highly touted recruit as the second highest safety in his high school class, just one spot behind Dax Hill. Let’s dive into Battle as a player and what he brings to the Cincinnati Bengals' defense:

Where He Excels

Battle makes devastating hits over the middle of the field. He has a willingness to hit and it shows on receivers who catch the ball in front of him. These big hits could intimidate receivers and make them think twice before crossing the middle of the field with him lurking around.

He moves better than how he tested during the pre-draft process. There’s a difference between movement ability on the field and how players move in designed drills. Playing with confidence and knowing exactly what you need to do will allow you to move faster than guys who are unsure of their assignment. Battle is someone who moves with confidence and has fairly loose hips.

He knows his assignments, his leverage, and does a good job of processing on the field. If he’s reading No. 3 to No. 2, he quickly moves off of No. 3 when he goes shallow and gets eyes on No. 2. He also seems to do a good job of reading the quarterback’s intentions when put into robber roles.

Battle quickly comes off of the roof of the defense to get involved in run fits. Despite not playing in the box too often, he is commonly involved in the run game. He quickly reads the play in front of him and comes downhill to help against the run.

A sure tackler as the last line of defense. He doesn't solely rely on shoe string type tackles. He has shown a variety of tackling techniques from a perfect form tackle to the gator roll. He missed a couple tackles against high end running backs, but happens to most players. He was generally technically sound and almost always brought down the ball carrier in 1-on-1 situations.

He takes on wide receiver blocks as if they are not there and even does a good job when tasked with taking on tight ends and offensive tackles. He wasn't frequently asked to play within the box, but this could be an area that he excels at in the NFL.

Areas of Concern

At times Battle will play a bit too aggressively in the run game. He can come down too hard and end up in bad position when the ball carrier bounces to the outside or cuts it back inside. He has to learn to play with controlled aggression in the pros.

While he moves well and better than he tested, he doesn't have elite range. He's probably not going to become a sideline-to-sideline type of safety. He can play in the middle of the field, but he excels elsewhere.

Battle could've had even more interceptions in college, but he doesn't consistently catch the ball. It’s a testament to his processing and ability as a coverage player that he had so many opportunities, but he didn't always capitalize on them.

Overall Thoughts

Battle can be a versatile piece in the safety room. He’s a player who wore a few different hats at Alabama and I would expect that he will do that in Cincinnati as well. He’s a smart player who will do everything his coaching staff asks him to do.

In coverage he excels when asked to read route distributions or the quarterback’s intentions. He does a good job of quickly diagnosing what the offense is attempting to do and will be in the right spot.

Has the ability to read the quarterback well and make plays on the ball as well, especially in the intermediate area of the field. He showed some man coverage prowess, but was typically not asked to cover anyone man-to-man without it being some type of bracket or quarters situation. He plays to his leverage and was very effective in coverage under Saban.

He will probably never be the guy to play a ton of deep middle of the field coverage because he lacks the elite range to fill that role. He can excel in split field coverages, man coverage, or in the intermediate areas.

He’s a smart player and a sure tackler in the run game. He comes down off of the roof of the defense hard to make stops in the run game. While he was not asked to play in the box a ton at Alabama, he did flash some ability when it came to taking on blocks.

If those flashes are an indication for his future growth then he could have the ability to come down into the box and play both the run and the tight end in man coverage. Sometimes he'll be just a tad too aggressive in the run game. He can give back cut back opportunities or give the back a chance to bounce the ball and give up the corner.

Battle seems like a future starter in the NFL. He may not be a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro safety, but he will be a versatile glue piece that provides plus play at the position.

Schematic Fit

He projects to be the third safety this season. He can come in for big dime packages or other 3-safety sets. He has a chance to steal a starting spot as a rookie, but it’s more likely that he will see that opportunity in 2024.

He should complement Hill as another versatile guy who has different strengths. He’s better in the box and in the run game, while providing good coverage ability in split field looks. Hill is better suited for matching up with slot receivers, but Battle could end up facing tight ends due to his size.

NFL Comparison

Patrick Chung

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