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Cincinnati Bengals: William Jackson III the piece to put defense over the top?

By Kevin Parvizi

Oct 24, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back William Jackson III (3) intercepts a pass against UCF Knights during the first half at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back William Jackson III (3) intercepts a pass against UCF Knights during the first half at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Basically, everyone in the draft community thought that the Cincinnati Bengals would draft a wide receiver in the first round, and the only other popular alternative was a defensive tackle.

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Well, the Cincinnati Bengals did end up nabbing slot wideout Tyler Boyd stole away high-upside strongman Andrew Billings, but their first-round pick was spent on a cornerback. Vernon Hargreaves III, Jalen Ramsey, Eli Apple, and even Mackensie Alexander earned more pre-draft hype than William Jackson III, but he deservedly heard his name called on the event’s first day, landing with a team that has spent plenty of high picks on CBs.

The Bengals big loss in the secondary was free safety Reggie Nelson, who will partner up with first-round rookie Karl Joseph on the Oakland Raiders. However, Cincinnati seems to be high on the likes of Derron Smith and Shawn Williams as potential replacements, and they must have big plans for Jackson.

Another former first-round pick at cornerback, Darqueze Dennard, lurks, and it will be interesting to see how the cornerback depth chart finishes. Adam Jones was re-signed despite his postseason antics, because he had another excellent season with smart run defense, three interceptions, and 12 passes defended.

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Competing for the other spot is the trio of Dre Kirkpatrick, Dennard, and Jackson, and the battle couldn’t be murkier. For as much natural talent as Kirkpatrick, who will surely miss facing Peyton Manning, has, he undermines his ball skills with a lack of consistency and, more worryingly, awareness. The former first-round pick (huh…I’m sensing a trent, but maybe that’s why I’m no statistician) came away with a team-high 16 PDs in 2015, but Pro Football Focus gave him a rather embarrassing coverage grade.

Jackson III can replace Leon Hall, he can be a more consistent player than Kirkpatrick, and he could expose Dennard as a mistake while simultaneously overpowering the odor of an errant selection.

Aug 28, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (27) reacts to a call against the Indianapolis Colts at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 35-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 28, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (27) reacts to a call against the Indianapolis Colts at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 35-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Though some might be inclined to think that the Bengals panicked after the run on receivers, they could have just as easily drafted Michael Thomas in the first round. No, I’m sure they had Jackson valued highly on their board, and there are plenty of analysts who saw the pick as a steal.

Bengals fans should be excited for a variety of reasons, but maybe the biggest is the fact that their defense was already one of the NFL’s top five units last season, particularly against the pass.

The ball-hawking Bengals picked off more passes (21) than they allowed passing touchdowns (18), and teams could only muster 5.8 yards per pass attempt against them, good for the sixth-best mark in the league. Though the Bengals were 11th in the NFL in total yards allowed, this has more to do with the number of plays they faced, because they never broke. Only the Seattle Seahawks allowed less points per game than the Bengals (17.4).

I understand that counting on an impact from a rookie CB is unwise, and the Bengals have two examples of this on their own roster. However, Marcus Peters and non first-round pick Ronald Darby played so well in their inaugural NFL seasons last season that I can’t help but have optimism that Jackson can play an important role.

Furthermore, he wasn’t the only big addition to this defense. Karlos Dansby is a legit upgrade to the linebacker corps, and Billings can make an immediate impact, even if the NFL believes fans hyped him up far too much.

That said, Jackson has the talent to be the missing piece, and he shows the type of physicality the Bengals covet in the secondary.

The numbers don’t lie. The Bengals were a turnover-causing defense that allowed the second-fewest points per game, a negligible two more points overall than the vaunted Seahawks defense. If Jackson III is as good as draft analysts say the man with 4.37 wheels is, then it might not matter that he only came from Houston. Chances are that one of the several talented CBs on the Bengals roster breaks out this season, and Jackson could be the next first-year corner to be an immediate success in this league.

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Not only did Jackson III have five interceptions last season, but he also led every player in the nation with 23 passes defended…that’s nearly two per game! The Bengals, as Kirkpatrick and Jones show us, like having CBs with good ball skills, and that’s a strength of WJ3’s.

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