With the NFL Combine up and running, the 2023 NFL Draft is officially just around the corner. Organizations are getting their final chances of observing the prospects and finding the missing pieces of their puzzles for next season. The Cincinnati Bengals could be looking for players who can contribute right away as they hope to finally win a championship.
This past season, the Bengals made it to the AFC Championship Game, losing 23-20 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. With that result, Cincinnati failed to return to the Super Bowl despite having MVP finalist Joe Burrow as its starting quarterback.
For the 2023 offseason, the front office will have a lot of work to do. The Bengals have 14 unrestricted free agents, which means it will be difficult to bring everyone back. Because of that, this year's draft gains even more attention.
Cincinnati currently owns the No. 28 pick in the first round, where many of the best prospects in this class could already be off the board. Still, there is one player who could be available at that point who could address some of their needs: Cam Smith from South Carolina.
With that being said, here is why Cam Smith is the perfect fit for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Why Cam Smith is the perfect fit in the Cincinnati Bengals' defense
Smith played four seasons at South Carolina and was an important piece of the team's resurgence in 2021 and 2022. Notably, the Gamecocks finished No. 23 in the national rankings this past season.
In 2021, his best season, the cornerback recorded 41 total tackles with 31 being solo. He also added 11 pass breakups, one forced fumble and three interceptions. He gave up only a 36.5 quarterback rating when targeted. Additionally, he only allowed multiple catches in just two out of his 11 games.
For his performances, Smith earned Second-team All-SEC honors.
Although his numbers went a bit down in 2022, he still contributed to South Carolina's success. The team ranked No. 27 in the nation on defensive passing efficiency at 121.76, according to the NCAA. For comparison, the Gamecocks finished ahead of TCU and LSU in that category, both top-10 programs in the final poll.
Against the then-No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers, Smith tied for second in solo tackles with six as the Gamecocks came out with a 63-38 blowout upset win. Versus the then-No. 8 Clemson Tigers, Smith helped hold DJ Uiagalelei to fewer than 100 passing yards and 10 completions.
The 6-foot, 188-pound cornerback has speed that can be useful when defending deep balls as his 23 passes defended and six interceptions in college reveal.
Other than his talents, another reason why Smith is a good option for Cincinnati is its situation in the secondary. The Bengals have some key free agents in the unit, which could cause a major setback in 2023.
Jessie Bates III and Von Bell, both starting safeties, will test the market. They combined for 16 pass breakups in 2022. Starting cornerback Eli Apple is a free agent. Additionally, secondary backups such as Tre Flowers, Michael Thomas and Jalen Davis could also be in different uniforms next season.
This means that the addition of Smith would at least address a portion of this issue. As the team has many other pending free agents, bringing in the South Carolina product would allow them to work on other areas as well.
All things considered, especially his production and the team's free agents in the secondary, Cam Smith is the perfect fit for the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 28 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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