The Bengals’ cornerback depth is one of the numerous strengths of their defense.
In Leon Hall, Terence Newman and Adam Jones, Cincinnati has three proven veterans at this key position. The Bengals also have 2012 first-round pick Dre Kirkpatrick waiting in the wings.
However, the more quality cornerback play a club has, the better, and fourth-year pro Brandon Ghee is aiming to grab one of the remaining roles at a position where several spots are already taken.
“I fit right in there,’' Ghee told Sammy Batten of the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer of his place in the Bengals’ secondary. “This is the NFL, so you’ve got four- and five-receiver sets all the time. You’re going to get playing time in the nickel and dime formations, which are used a lot.”
A third-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2010, Ghee played a combined 13 games in his first two NFL seasons, all as a reserve. However, he missed all of last season with a wrist injury that necessitated surgery. Making matters worse, Ghee contracted an infection in the wrist six weeks after the surgery, the Observer reported.
“It was still a good four months before I felt normal,” Ghee said, per the Observer. “It was still kind of weak, but I started strengthening it and now it feels better than ever.”
At 26, Ghee is not exceptionally young by NFL standards. If he shows well in the summer, he could stick on the Bengals’ roster. If he doesn’t, he could be vulnerable. The Bengals have 10 cornerbacks, and Ghee is the last year of his contract.
There are scores of stories like Ghee’s entering training camp, a proving ground for players trying to make it at pro football’s highest level.