Assessing the value Cincinnati got in Josh Newton

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t prioritize the cornerback position in free agency or the NFL Draft, but they still may have got an impact player in Josh Newton.

The 149th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Newton would have likely gone much higher had he declared following his 2022 season, as he helped the Horned Frogs finish 13-2 and make the national championship game before falling to Amarius Mims’ Georgia team. He finished that season with a standout 82.0 Pro Football Focus grade. In 517 coverage snaps, he allowed just 24 receptions on 68 targets.

While Newton didn’t have a bad 2023 season by any stretch, it wasn’t quite good enough to keep him in the conversation for being a Day 2 selection. He earned a 76.9 PFF grade while allowing 25 receptions on 52 targets in 413 coverage snaps.

Going into the draft, Newton was widely considered to be a mid-Day 3 prospect.

• ESPN had Newton ranked 182nd overall.
• Sporting News had him ranked 129th.
• Pro Football Focus had him 189th.
• CBS Sports ranked him 165th.
• The Consensus Big Board, which factors in all the rankings across the internet, had Newton ranked 164th overall, so just a 15-spot difference compared to where the Bengals took him.
• NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave Newton a Rounds 4-5 projection and a 5.99 grade, putting him in the ‘Average Backup Or Special-Teamer’ tier. Here is Zierlein’s scouting report of Newton:

A well-built cornerback with inside/outside versatility, Newton’s 2022 tape was slightly better than his 2023 film. He’s capable in press and is made for old-fashioned Cover 2 looks where he can redirect the release and sink into zone coverage. Newton plays tall in space, creating inconsistencies in transitioning to match routes and he will lose downfield to speedsters. He’s competitive and physical at the catch point and is willing to do his part in run support. He has good football makeup, but it seems like he’s more likely to be around an NFL receiver rather than actively making plays on the ball.

Because the Bengals let Chidobe Awuzie go in free agency and didn’t sign any other cornerbacks. Dax Hill is moving from safety to cornerback, though that will likely be in more of a slot corner role, while Newton primarily plays on the boundary (he had just 51 slot snaps last season).

As long as Newton had a decent training camp and preseason, he has a pretty clear path to the 53-man roster with guys like Lance Robinson, Allan George, and DJ Ivey coming off an ACL tear as the primary competition.