Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick entered the NFL as a first-round draft pick from Alabama in 2012. But he worked three seasons behind veterans Leon Hall, Adam "Pacman" Jones and Terrence Newman before becoming a starter in the Cincinnati Bengals' secondary.
After three seasons as the Bengals' left cornerback, Kirkpatrick, who'll turn 29 on Oct. 26, is now the senior member of the Cincinnati secondary with the somewhat surprising release of free safety George Iloka on Aug. 19. Iloka joined the Bengals in the same draft as Kirkpatrick, and he'd been a starter for five seasons.