Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots , we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.
Today, we stay in the backend of the secondary to go over safety Jordan Battle. As other members of last year's draft class get showered in praise, Battle deserves credit for putting out the best 2023 tape for all rookies in Cincinnati. His playing time in 2024, however, might be out of his control.
Jordan Battle
- Age: 23
- Year: 2nd
- Position: Safety
- College: Alabama
- Previous Teams: None
- Jersey Number: 27
Battle was drafted by the Bengals with the 95th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He spent four years at Alabama where he played every possible game in his career. He started 44 of the 54 games he played in, including 37-straight starts to close out his time with the Crimson Tide. Alabama won its most recent National Championship in 2020, the first year Battle was a full-time starter at safety. In 2021, he achieved career-highs in tackles (84), passes defensed (6) and interceptions (3 with 2 pick-sixes) on his way to Second-Team All-America and First-Team All-SEC honors. He earned those same honors again as a senior captain in 2022.
An outstanding on and off-field resume was barely enough for Battle to be drafted on Day 2 as his lack of elite athleticism was likely the reasoning behind his fall. The Bengals considered drafting him with the 60th overall pick in the second round, but went with speedy cornerback DJ Turner instead. They traded back three spots in the third round, and Battle was still on the board, making him the best player available by a wide margin.
Battle was considered a value pick considering there wasn't a clear path for him to see the field as a rookie. Dax Hill and Nick Scott were the presumed starters at safety, and Bell was set to compete with Tycen Anderson for standing behind them. It didn't take long before the team realized Battle needed to see the field. Hill showed flashes but was inconsistent, and Scott was simply unreliable. Battle started rotating with Scott in Week 5. He played nearly a full game in Week 11, and finally took over as the starter in Week 12, holding the spot for the final seven games of the season. He caught his first interception against the Cleveland Browns in the final game of the season.
Cincinnati's defense struggled all year long stopping the run and tackling, two areas that Battle excelled in. He missed just six tackles compared to 69 total tackles he made, and his Pro Football Focus run defense grade came out at a team-high 81.3. He graded out higher than any rookie safety who played significant snaps last year.
Contract details
Battle signed a four-year, $5,325,016 deal last offseason that will pay him a base salary of $992,046 for the 2024 season.
When adding on his signing bonus of $872,740 that's being prorated throughout the deal, Battle's cap hit for this year will be $1,210,231.
Roster chances
Like most of his fellow 2023 draftees, Battle is very much locked in for the 2024 roster. He was even projected to maintain his starter status before Vonn Bell was brought back in free agency. Demoting Battle for Bell is not an indictment on the second-year player, rather an emphasis to ensure communication and experience is restored in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's defensive backfield.
Battle did all he could last year to prove himself worthy of a significant role, but after the mess that sparked his playing time in the first place, Anarumo simply wants no excuses this year. Battle will enter the season as the third safety and should still see the field throughout the year. Bell is playing on a one-year contract anyways, so giving Battle playing time would be wise to prepare him as a starter for 2025 and beyond.
Chances of making the roster: 100%
Previous player breakdowns
Related: Bengals Roster Breakdown: Vonn Bell picking up where he left off as pivotal leader in Cincinnati
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