It pays to draft high-end athletes in the NFL, especially at cornerback. The nature of the position is so reliant on speed in the open field. Not having the burners to make up for the slightest mistake is the difference between being a reserve, and not even making a roster.
The Cincinnati Bengals understand this more than most teams. In drafting DJ Turner II in the second round, they added not only the fastest cornerback in the NFL Draft, but the fastest player in the draft, period. But Turner wasn’t the only cornerback, or DJ, they selected.
Cornerback DJ Ivey was the team’s eighth and final pick the Bengals made last month, and certain metrics say he could be a potential steal.
According to Reel Analytics, Ivey’s in-game athleticism gauged from player tracking technology put him near the top cornerbacks in this year’s class. His composite IGA score that measures this data was a 94.2, which is seventh among all cornerbacks from this year.
7th round draft pick DJ Ivey could represent good value for the Bengals. The #NFLPABowl Alum had a Top 10 IGA Score of 94.2.
Our IGA Score is a measure of in-game athleticism using position-specific metrics extracted from tape by our tracking technology. https://t.co/eQpG3v2547 pic.twitter.com/nL65FYDGGT
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) May 15, 2023
A 94.2 is not just in the top 10, it’s also two points higher than Devon Witherspoon, who was the fifth-overall pick and first cornerback taken in draft. The second cornerback off the board, Christian Gonzalez, received the highest score of 98.7.
Ivey’s score is a reflection of how much faster he performed compared to how he tested. At 6-1 and 189 pounds, the former University of Miami defensive back ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and jumped 39″ on the vertical jump at his pro day.
A fifth-year player for the Hurricanes, Ivey appeared in a whopping 58 games during his time in Miami. He registered 17 passes defensed in the four years he started, and caught six interceptions to boot.
Ivey had the profile of a draftable player, and his on-field athleticism being better than advertised only paints him in a better light. That said, making the Bengals’ roster as a seventh-round player is a tall task, especially at the cornerback position.
Cincinnati has at least six corners primed to make it through final cuts in August presuming health is not a factor. Turner II, Sidney Jones, and Jalen Davis are projected to back up starters Chidobe Awuzie, Cam Taylor-Britt, and Mike Hilton.
What could help Ivey is Awuzie’s recovery from a torn ACL taking longer than expected. Awuzie is targeting a Week 1 return date after suffering his injury on Halloween last season. If Awuzie ends up needing a few more weeks before reaching 100%, the Bengals could roster Ivey in the meantime.
In all likelihood, Ivey ends up on the Bengals’ practice squad for the year, and will be called upon should they need him due to injuries. But don’t be surprised if he looks like one of the fastest players on the field during training camp and preseason action.
READ MORE:
NFL insider suggests contract structure for Joe Burrow that would be a first for a QB
The move the Bengals didn’t make solidified a great offseason
