Paul Dehner Jr.

pdehnerjr@enquirer.com

Any time a first-round player shows up at your position in the NFL, the natural reaction is to feel nerves kick up and wonder how this will affect your future with the club.

The natural reaction for Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick was to eat steak.

On Friday night, the two met up with the newest competition at their position, first-round pick William Jackson III, and headed to Ruth’s Chris Steak House to offer a personal welcome.

They weren’t selling the sizzle to the 23-year-old who Jones referred to as “the third.” This was all cutting to the meat of Bengals reality.

“I was just telling him all the things he needs to expect,” Kirkpatrick said. “Just keeping it real with him. Not being one of those guys that say certain things and that’s really not what it was. I wanted him to know what it really was. I said it’s not my job to give you a position. It’s my job to teach you and for you to go out there and take it.”

The message of competition continues in what consistently remains one of the most talented rooms inside Paul Brown Stadium. Four first-round corners and Josh Shaw, who the Bengals had a second-round grade on last year, now top the depth chart.

Cincinnati lives in rarified air in that regard. Outside of the Bengals, only two teams employ more than two former first-round picks among their corners. And those two both come with Cincinnati connections. The first, former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and the Vikings. The second, Houston, where one of the first-rounders is Johnathan Joseph, selected 24th overall by the Bengals in 2006. Coincidentally, 10 years later Jackson was also selected 24th and will wear Joseph's old No. 22.

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All part of the latest circle of life under Marvin Lewis. These Bengals corners have all played the role of both incumbent and challenger inside these walls. They say to bring on competition.

“I totally agree with the decision,” Jones said. “We always need depth in the back end. I’m eager for the challenge for the group, man. My main thing with the guys is less talk, more actions. And everything will work out.”

Easy to say everything will work out months after signing a $22 million contract. The timing doesn’t sit as conveniently for Kirkpatrick, who enters a contract year. The Bengals extended the fifth-year option on his rookie deal earlier this offseason, but the arrival of Jackson adds another body capable of doing his job at a fraction of the cost in 2017.

“I ain’t trippin’,” Kirkpatrick said. “They going to make it work. I know I’m going to work my butt of to go get it. I don’t want nothing handed to me. I want to take everything I get.”

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Kirkpatrick stated he wants to eventually stay in Cincinnati and finds himself embracing the city more this year than ever. He pointed out he didn’t see Jackson as being drafted to take his position, rather about team development into the future. Hard to argue, between Kirkpatrick and Dennard, the two totaled four starts between them in their first two seasons.

Exercising patience and using the time spent easing into the rotation to spike development will remain a key, in their eyes. That was the most beneficial element for Shaw as he endured the learning curve last year.

“At the end of the day, it can only be helpful,” said Shaw, who took just 11 percent of the Bengals’ defensive snaps last year but 56 percent of special teams plays. “You have a lot of guys who are very, very talented and it's a competitive room. For me, I was able to get here and see the Leon Halls the Adam Jones, Dres and even Darqueze, and everybody has their different traits about them, that are really special so you kind of get to pick from seeing differing things in everybody’s game to help yourself. For me, last year, I was able to learn a lot.”

Jones and Kirkpatrick started the job of teaching over dinner Friday night. They hope one night at The Banks can lay a base for a much larger celebration there in nine months.

“You come out and compete because at the end of the day we are trying to win a Super Bowl,” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s not about him taking somebody’s job. He don’t care about that. He’s got to work and we got to work. At the end of the day, I can only make this team better at special teams, corner, whatever I can do to get this team to the Super Bowl.”