With Hilton’s arrival three years ago, a secondary that was in need of seasoned leadership and proven talent was strengthened. With his special edge, he took over a position that is usually disregarded. By leaving the Pittsburgh Ssteeler, he also gave it to the Bengals, depriving a division rival of it.
The Bengals’ victory over an AFC North team bolstered their defence. By signing safety Geno Stone away from the Baltimore Ravens, they can accomplish the same goal.
In the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Stone was selected by the Baltimore Ravens. He only played two snaps in his rookie season, but from 2021 to 2022, he played 669 snaps as a defensive back in the rotation. He didn’t become a weekly starter until this past season, when he played in every game from Week 1 to the AFC Championship and totaled precisely 1,000 snaps.
He played nearly 70% of his playing time at free safety, where the Ravens were better off featuring him. With seven interceptions, which is one more than former Bengal Jessie Bates III, he led all safeties, and his Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 85.3 supports that output.
While PFF ratings are interesting, the Bengals witnessed Stone’s impact in Week 2 of the previous campaign. Part of Baltimore’s 27-24 victory over Cincinnati came from Stone intercepting Joe Burrow in the red zone.
The Bengals sorely missed plays like these from their safeties in 2023. Both Dax Hill and Nick Scott, who possess the athleticism to patrol between the numbers, performed poorly when handling deep zones.
This offseason, the Bengals might give up on Scott, but they won’t give up on Hill. Stone is a great alternative to play in the deep middle if they determine that the former first-round pick is better off playing near the line of scrimmage.
