The Cincinnati Bengals returned to the Oxford well and selected safety Daijahn Anthony not long after selecting Ole Miss Rebels defensive end Cedric Johnson in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Anthony becomes the third Rebel selected in the draft on Saturday, following the selection of Johnson and cornerback Deantre Prince by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Anthony was selected with the No. 224 overall pick in the seventh round.
Anthony played Division I ball for the Liberty Flames (2021–2022) before moving to Ole Miss for his final year of college. He had 61 total tackles and three pass interceptions in 2023, demonstrating his ability to adapt to life in the Southeastern Conference.
NFL.com had some praise and room for improvement for Anthony in its analysis of the safety leading up to the draft. You can read some of the remarks below.
“Hard-hitting safety with man cover tools but potential limitations if asked to play on the back end,” NFL.com wrote. “Anthony is high-cut but with good size and an aggressive field demeanor. He aligned as both a big nickel and a split safety. He’s fairly comfortable handling man coverage duties over the slot and does a nice job of staying connected with routes and disrupting catch tries with timing.”
With the NFL Draft winding down in its final round, time is running out for some of the “outside chance” Rebels to hear their name called, but some could join rosters as undrafted free agents following the draft’s conclusion.
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