While Cam Taylor-Britt didn’t get nearly as much national recognition as McDuffie, he was just as impactful for the Cincinnati Bengals as McDuffie was for the Chiefs.
Taylor-Britt, who appeared in 10 games as a 2022 rookie, broke out as a 12-game starter for the Bengals last season. He did spend time on injured reserve with a quad injury, but he also snagged four interceptions while allowing an opposing passer rating of only 78.0 in coverage.
This year, Taylor-Britt should have even more chances to make big plays in big moments. Cincinnati’s offense was hampered by quarterback Joe Burrow’s injuries—first, a lingering calf ailment, then a season-ending wrist injury—which left opponents frequently attacking the Bengals with the run.
Cincinnati faced the ninth-fewest passing attempts against in 2023.
At the same time, Taylor-Britt may benefit from upgraded safety help. Cincinnati brought back Vonn Bell while adding former Baltimore Ravens Geno Stone. If the Bengals defense is better on the back end—the team ranked dead-last in net yards per pass attempt allowed—Taylor-Britt should be able to play a bit more aggressively.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that Burrow will stay healthy after finishing two of his four seasons on injured reserve. There’s also no guarantee that the Bengals defense, which ranked 31st overall, will experience a sizeable turnaround.
However, Taylor-Britt is a rising star who should be even more productive in Year 3.
