If there is one position that the Cincinnati Bengals are loaded with talent, it’s cornerback. The defensive secondary has a bright future in Cincinnati, anchored by a veteran who just got his signature contract and two first round draft picks.

Dre Kirkpatrick really performed well in 2016 and was rewarded with a five-year $52.5 million contract in the 2017 offseason. He’s earned his position as the No. 1 corner on the team and still has even more room to improve at only 27 years-old. Some may think he was overpaid, but his top-10 corner salary will likely look more like a top-25 salary once he enters the back half of the deal. When you have a chance to lock up your best corner, you have to jump on it.

Adam Jones returns to the team after a rocky offseason. In an effort to save space in the article, I won’t go into the entire story. However, Bengals owner Mike Brown is standing by his player. Regardless, Jones is slipping when it comes to his playmaking ability and isn’t an explosive option in the return game like he once was. However, coach Marvin Lewis and his staff do value experience over talent at times, so as long as Jones makes the 53-man, he’ll likely start.

Behind Jones is where the future of the secondary lies in Cincinnati. Darqueze Dennard has to get a chance to play corner on the perimeter in 2017. He’s entering his fourth season with the team and if he doesn’t show something soon, he may never get a shot to prove he was worth his selection in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has talent and should be given the chance to start over Jones.

Josh Shaw has proven he can play nickel corner well for the Bengals and should continue to man that position in passing situations for the team. He made 56 tackles with one interception and three pass defenses. The 2015 fourth rounder has a lot of room to improve too at the age of 25.

William Jackson III will have his proper rookie season in 2017 after spending all of 2016 on the injured reserve. The third first-round selection at cornerback on the team, he’ll be able to start gaining that experience needed to handle the different types of receivers in the NFL. He has the tools to be successful, only time will tell how well he develops.

KeiVarae Russell will also be back to try and make the 53-man roster. He has as many interceptions as he does tackles (one) for the Bengals.

The Bengals don’t need any more depth at corner at this time. If they add a player in the 2017 NFL Draft, it will be because a talent they like dropped into the deep rounds. They have too many holes to fill to take one higher.