Heading into 2016, Darqueze Dennard has quite a bit to overcome and prove. His sophomore campaign in 2015 started out on an encouraging note in which he played 10 games and even managed to start one. In that stretch, he posted 12 tackles, three deflected passes, and one 10-yard interception. It looked like he was beginning to get the hang of things as he continued to improve into the kind of player who could compete with Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick for full-time starting spots.
Unfortunately, his 2015 season was cut short in Week 11 when he suffered a serious season-ending shoulder injury against the Cardinals. He had surgery to repair the damage and is expected to be ready for training camp. But, he’ll still be looking to prove his worth in 2016 coming off of the major injury.
There should be all of the opportunity in the world for Dennard to prove himself and break out in 2016. With Adam Jones being 33 in September, Dre Kirkpatrick entering a contract year and Leon Hall still unsigned, the future at cornerback looks wide open.
If he can stay healthy and continue to improve in 2016, there’s no reason to think Dennard can’t become a full time starter this season.
Player Information:
Age: 24
Experience: Entering his third year
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 197 pounds
Position: Cornerback
College: Michigan State
Contract Status
Why he might improve in 2016
It would be hard to make the argument that Dennard wasn’t already showing signs of improvement last year. Due to his injury, he played in four less games than he did in 2014. But, in that span he came close to equaling his rookie tackle count and deflected more passes. He also caught an interception, in a game in which he was filling in for an injured Leon Hall, which he did not do in 2014.
He was played a prominent role in Week 11 against the Cardinals due to Adam Jones being out. He played well and recorded two tackles before leaving the game with the aforementioned shoulder injury late in the third quarter. Going forward, all he will need to do is built on the in-game success he's already had to make a bigger impact this year.
Why he might regress in 2016
‘Injury prone’ might be a good word to describe Dennard at this point. He missed games in his rookie season due to various nicks taken over the course of the season. In addition, his effectiveness in college was limited due to a double hernia surgery that he underwent before his senior season at Michigan State. Add in the shoulder surgery that he underwent in 2015 and you’re left with a cornerback who's had some sort of serious injury on a nearly annual basis since 2011.
He has all the talent in the world and was praised for his press strength and quick thinking heading into the 2014 NFL Draft. But, he also has a tendency to struggle in zone coverage. Will he be able to handle the pressure of potentially heading into a role where he becomes the team’s top corner? We’ll have to wait and see.
Odds of making the roster
Go ahead and pencil Dennard in on the final roster right now. The Bengals took him in the first round two years ago and, aside from injury problems, haven’t really seen any reason why he can’t live up to that selection. Suffice it to say, it would be a surprising and downright stupid move for the Bengals to cut a player with so much potential.
You know what? Go ahead and change that pencil to a pen.