Pros and cons of Cincinnati Bengals picking Ole Miss' Daijahn Anthony in 2024 NFL Draft

David Eckert, Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Daijahn Anthony from Ole Miss football is officially an NFL rookie after being picked by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 224th pick in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Here's what Anthony brings to the Bengals, based on our own observations from his tenure at Ole Miss:

What Daijahn Anthony brings to Cincinnati Bengals in 2024 NFL Draft

Anthony is a classic downhill safety. At 6-foot, 194 pounds, he has the size and the mentality to bring that imposing playstyle to the next level. Interestingly, Anthony has been made to adjust to a higher level of play twice in his collegiate career alone. He jumped from the Division II ranks to Liberty and then from Liberty to the SEC at Ole Miss, where he immediately became an impact player.

The Rebels took a chance on Anthony, who didn't always start at Liberty, because they liked his athletic profile. Anthony showed off that same profile at the combine, where NFL.com ranked his performance fifth among the safeties present.

Daijahn Anthony's highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Ole Miss football

At Ole Miss, Anthony will be forever associated with a play he made in a memorable 55-49 win over LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. With the Tigers knocking on the door of the red zone, eventual Heisman Trophy-winning QB Jayden Daniels scrambled to his right, where Anthony blew him up, forcing a fumble that Ole Miss recovered.

His athleticism will help him at the next level. He ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash and a 1.51-second 10-yard split. Anthony also registered a 37-inch vertical jump and turned in a 9-foot-8-inch broad jump. A corner at Liberty, he's got a relatively diverse skillset that could make him an asset.

Evaluators have been critical of his posture in man coverage, while also noting that he has a tendency to get beat when his back is to the ball. Though some might say that he has some upside because of his lack of high-level football experience, that could also be considered a negative by some organizations.

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Daijahn Anthony 2023 stats at Ole Miss football

  • 13 games

  • 61 tackles

  • 8 pass breakups

  • 3 interceptions

  • 1 forced fumble

Daijahn Anthony potential in NFL

NFL.com grades Anthony as an average backup or special-teamer. It's easy to see his mentality and enthusiasm for collisions playing well on a special teams unit. The case for a higher ceiling comes from the fact that he played just one season of Power Five football.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Bengals draft Daijahn Anthony in 2024 NFL Draft: Pros, cons of pick

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