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With the 46th pick in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals have selected Wake Forest safety Jessie Bates III.
Bates is an instinctive playmaker and fills the need for a safety that the Bengals were desperately trying to fill for the entirety of the offseason. Bates should come in and be a contributor but not a starter starting in his rookie year. With that said, he could earn a starting role if he impresses enough as the Bengals seem to be indicating they’re not totally in love with their starting duo of George Iloka and Shawn Williams, both of whom are signed through 2019.
Here are the social media reactions to the pick!
The Bengals grab safety Jessie Bates from Wake Forest. Bates ranked 48th among draft-eligible safeties in yards per cover snap in 2017 (0.64)
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 28, 2018
Probably a role player year one. Play the FS spot when they go into 3-Saf looks https://t.co/d5T2BUm6xd
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) April 28, 2018
This is the highest the #Bengals have selected a safety in the Marvin Lewis Era.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) April 28, 2018
“I take a lot of pride in being a film junkie, I think my FB IQ is one of my best attributes”- Bates
— Elise Jesse (@Elise_JesseWLWT) April 28, 2018
“I think everyone knows I can play the middle of the field and making an impact wherever coach wants me to”-Bates
— Elise Jesse (@Elise_JesseWLWT) April 28, 2018
Jessie Bates says he first met with the #Bengals at the combine. Says he remembers every minute of that meeting.
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) April 28, 2018
Jessie Bates said he has 150 people at his draft party in Fort Wayne, Indiana. @FOX19 #Bengals
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) April 28, 2018
Jessie Bates said the Bengals gave him a bunch of math problems to do during his interview at the NFL combine. "I think I killed it," he joked. He's not the only one who has mentioned that Cincinnati gave them math problems to do during their interview.
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) April 28, 2018
Bates said his family is 3 hours away from Cincinnati, “I’m going to have trouble keeping my mom away from me” #Bengals @WLWT
— Elise Jesse (@Elise_JesseWLWT) April 28, 2018
Bates when he found out it was the Bengals: "Oh yeah, that's perfect. Perfect."
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) April 28, 2018
T.J. & Who Dey. #BengalsDraft
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 28, 2018
Houshmandzadeh announced our second round pick in Dallas. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/Dt86xytfrn
Bates said he thought the Cowboys and Packers were also interested, as well as the Panthers. Thought he had a good chance to potentially go to those places as well as Cincinnati.
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) April 28, 2018
Jessie Bates III (@jlbiii3) is one of my favorite players in this draft. I love that pick, #Bengals fans. That makes two of your selections that I've interviewed. https://t.co/JCi2BKawkS#NFLDraft @WakeFB #NFLDraft18 #GoDeacs #Cincinnati
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 28, 2018
Welcome @jlbiii3 let’s work !
— Josh Shaw (@Joshshaw26_) April 28, 2018
Jessie Bates to Bengals. He's the #34 player on my board. Very nice.
— Vance Meek (@vancemeek) April 28, 2018