Chidobe Awuzie

When Awuzie went down with a torn ACL in Week 8 during a blowout loss on Halloween night against the Browns, it seemed like a devastating blow to a Bengals team in the process of falling to 4-4 and the toughest part of their schedule remaining. Instead, rookie Cam Taylor-Britt took over and was an improvement over Awuzie, who was struggling after a breakout campaign in 2021, and the Bengals won their next 10 games. Eli Apple is gone, so the Bengals are counting on Awuzie to step back in and start while they get rookie DJ Turner up to speed.

Bengals fans were worried when CB William Jackson III departed via free agency, but when Awuzie signed a three-year, $21.75 million deal, little did they know that the Bengals would get superior production (83.3 PFF rating compared to a 59.3 PFF rating for Jackson) at a relative bargain compared to Jackson (three years, $40.5 million). Awuzie exmplifies how the Bengals successfully rebuilt their defense with a handful of targeted, under-the-radar moves. More will be asked of Awuzie in 2022, with the Bengals facing a turbo-charged schedule that includes the Bills, Bucs and Chiefs.

Awuzie is coming off his best statistical season in the NFL, recording career highs with 79 tackles and 14 passes defended while shaving a few points off the QB rating he allowed in 2018. He's still prone to the occasional big play, however, and there remains chatter around the Cowboys about a switch to safety, where his athleticism might be better suited to attacking the ball rather than chasing after receivers. With Byron Jones gone, though, the team likely needs him more at corner, and the team's wholesale coaching changes on the defensive side of the ball could allow Awuzie to be more aggressive than he was under conservative coordinator Rod Marinelli. With free agency looming next offseason, Awuzie will be looking for a breakout - and a big payday - of his own.

The Colorado product took a step forward in the second half of his second NFL campaign, finishing the year with an impressive 71 tackles and 11 passes defended while snagging his second career interception. Much like Byron Jones opposite him, Awuzie's length and athleticism makes him a great fit for secondary coach Kris Richard's attacking philosophy, and the duo figure to be a big part of whatever success the Cowboys defense has this season.

Awuzie battled injuries as a rookie that limited him to 10 games, but when he was on the field, he showed flashes of the coverage ability that made him a second-round pick in 2017, snagging his first career INT in Week 17 against the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles. He's expected to line up as a starting outside corner opposite Byron Jones this year, and Awuzie could blossom under the tutelage of former Seahawks DB coach Kris Richard given his length, smarts and athleticism.

A second round pick out of Colorado, Awuzie brings athleticism, versatility and an extremely high football IQ to a Cowboys secondary being rebuilt from the ground up. While he wasn't a turnover machine in college, Awuzie's ability to sniff out a play before it starts could put him in position for plenty of INTs once he's adjusted to the speed of the NFL.