Mike Hilton mentoring rookie DB Josh Newton

Hilton has taken him under his wing.

When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted TCU cornerback Josh Newton in April, a big part of what they liked about him was his versatility. His ability to play outside corner, play in the slot, and defend the run were all traits that drew the Bengals to him.

A player on the roster who offers similar versatility is veteran cornerback Mike Hilton. Hilton, the elder statesman of the Bengals' cornerback room, plays primarily in the slot but has made plenty of impact plays for Cincinnati when defending the run and blitzing off the edge. It would make sense that, in offseason workouts, Hilton has taken Newton under his wing.

Hilton has been speaking highly of Newton so far, highlighting how Newton is picking up playing multiple positions in the defensive backfield.

“He’s picking up both positions. He’s communicating well already. We’ll see how he does when someone is across from him,” Hilton said to Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “He can move his feet, and he catches it well.”

Hilton expanded on his thoughts, saying, “He has to balance between inside and outside. I don’t want to do too much because he’s got to get one thing down first and then go from there. There’s so much more to inside than outside. You have run fits, blitz patterns, and probably the better route runners are inside. I feel like being inside you need a complete overall game.”

Newton will work to find his place in a cornerback group that includes a big free agent signing in Hilton, along with high draft picks like Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner, and now, apparently, Daxton Hill.

Hilton is entering the final year of his contract in Cincinnati and instead of worrying about that, he is mentoring a young player and clearly looking to help him when he can.

For the Bengals' defense, who ranked near the bottom of the NFL in most categories, a retooled defensive backfield will be called upon to make an impact.