The Bengals have completed their draft pick signings by getting their first-round selection under contract.
The club has signed cornerback Darqueze Dennard, the No. 24 overall pick, to a four-year deal, the team said on its website on Thursday.
At the least, Dennard seems a viable candidate to have a role in “sub” packages for Cincinnati early in his pro career.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Michigan State product garnered the Jim Thorpe Award as college football’s top defensive back in 2013 and recorded 167 tackles and 10 interceptions in his Spartans career. He joins a Cincinnati secondary with two key cornerbacks (Adam Jones, Terence Newman) who are 30 or older. Moreover, Leon Hall (30 in December) comes off an Achilles injury.