The Cincinnati Bengals have selected Wake Forest safety Jessie Bates in the second round with the 54th overall pick. After trading back with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bengals were able to grab their playmaker they wanted while moving up in the third round from the last pick of the night. Cincinnati has spent the offseason looking for another safety to add to their secondary.
Bringing in guys during free agency period like Eric Reid and Kurt Coleman, the Bengals wanted to find a playmaker to add to their safety group. Like Alabama Ronnie Harrison and Stanford Justin Reid, Bates is a hard-hitting safety from the top of the defense.