The needed change within the Cincinnati Bengals' defense has finally happened.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo confirmed Wednesday afternoon that rookie Jordan Battle will start over Nick Scott at the safety position alongside Dax Hill.
This has been a move months in the making. Battle was the team's third-round pick in this year's NFL Draft, a selection that raised plenty of eyebrows considering how early the team targeted a position that presumably had both of its starters locked in. Scott signed a three-year contract in free agency just a month prior.
In the offseason, Scott and Battle would often rotate in and out with each other, creating the appearance of a true competition for that starting role. By the time the preseason rolled around, Scott seemed to have a firm handle on the job.
Unfortunately, Scott did not start the season well, and Battle began playing more and more to compensate for the fifth-year veteran's inconsistencies, specifically with tackling. Scott is responsible for nine missed tackles this year, the third-most in the defense according to Pro Football Focus. This doesn't even include the times he's found himself out of position to even attempt a tackle as well.
Tackling has been the best part of Battle's game. PFF has him with a missed tackle percentage of 4.2%, the lowest on the defense, and
The starter label is not as an important as the simple fact that Battle will be on the field more often than Scott going forward. Battle's still pretty inexperienced with just 153 snaps to his name in 10 games played. He's bound to make some mistakes with more exposure to the field, but accumulating playing time will help him grow out of his errors, and the Bengals' defense should be better for it.
More must-reads: