At the start of Cincinnati Bengals training camp, as the Bengals began fitting together the pieces of their new trio of starting cornerbacks, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo stressed that depth at cornerback is more important than having one premier player at that position.
If you can get a cornerback that can stand out as a number one corner, he said, that’s great. But in the modern NFL, there are more three-wide-receiver sets and more of an emphasis on the passing game. As a result, Anarumo’s defense relies on four or five cornerbacks and two safeties to play at a high level over the course of the game.