ESPN Picks Bengals Secondary as Top Weakness Entering 2023 Season

CINCINNATI — ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote about the top flaws that could derail NFL contenders this coming season.

Cincinnati's secondary got the spotlight from Barnwell as the team relies on an influx of youth and one key returning player: Chidobe Awuzie.

"There are players here to try to replace those lost veterans," Barnwell wrote. "Nick Scott, who emerged during Los Angeles' run to the Super Bowl in 2021, signed a low-cost deal to take over one starting safety spot. Dax Hill, a first-round pick in 2022 who played 131 snaps as a rookie, will be the other starter. Mike Hilton returns in the slot, and (Cam) Taylor-Britt got better as his rookie season went along. Rookie second-rounder DJ Turner could see time in his debut season and profiles as the likely long-term replacement for Hilton.

"The biggest difference-maker might not be any of those guys. Chidobe Awuzie was playing at an All-Pro level last season before tearing the ACL in his right knee in November. The former Cowboys corner had been a revelation since joining the Bengals in free agency, raising his game in 2021 and then again even higher in 2022. If the Awuzie who comes back is the guy who was allowing a 53.4 passer rating in coverage before his injury, the Bengals should be fine. If he's battling to stay on the field as he recovers from the torn ligament in his knee, there will be real questions about whether this secondary can hold up to the passing attacks it'll face in the playoffs."

The Bengals have taken things slowly with Awuzie so far in training camp as he approaches full health while still being held out of team drills as a precaution.

Safety and corner are one of the few positions that aren't rock solid on the Bengals roster right now. Still, those concerns could wash away with good play from those new talents to start the season.

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