Kamari Cheatham
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No. 24 Cincinnati Bengals | |||||||||
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| Cornerback | |||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: March 17, 1999 | |||||||||
| Place of birth: Cary, NC | |||||||||
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Career information | |||||||||
| High school: Cary High School, Cary, NC | |||||||||
| College: North Carolina State | |||||||||
| NFL Draft: 2022 / Round: 2 / Pick: 46 | |||||||||
| Debuted in 2022 for the Cincinnati Bengals | |||||||||
Career history
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| Roster status: Active | |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2022 | |||||||||
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Kamari Cheatham (born March 17, 1999 is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for North Carolina State. Cheatham was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2022 NFLHC Draft.
Contents
Early Years
Cheatham attended Cary High School in Cary, North Carolina. Cheatham was considered one of the top athletes in the 2017 recruiting cycle, fascinating many defensive-minded coaches with his versatility.
Recruiting
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamari Cheatham ATH |
Cary, NC | Cary HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 221 lb (100 kg) | Round 1 | |
Skill: Potential:
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| Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
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Cheatham committed to East Carolina after fielding offers from North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Virginia Tech.
College Career
After redshirting his first year with the Pirates, Cheatham played one season with East Carolina, winning the AAC East division before losing to the Houston Cougars. With the departure of ObliviousLax as head coach, Cheatham decided to transfer to North Carolina State, where he played as the number one cornerback.
Statistics
Through the 2021 regular season, Cheatham's stats were as follows:
| Season | Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tackles | Int | PD | Sacks | FF | FR | TD | Safeties | ||||
| 2018 | 14 | 14 | 32 | 2 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2020 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 3 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| NCAA Career Totals | 51 | 51 | 73 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
Professional Career
Pre-draft
Cheatham had a rough pre-draft period. Scouts remained fairly concerned about his ball-hawking ability but found solace in his tackling ability, though that's not what scouts like to see in a cornerback vying for a spot in the pros.
Measurables
| 40 Time | Vertical | Broad | Bench Press | Shuttle | 3 Cone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.47 | 34.5" | 10-3 | 6 | 3.93 | 7.29 |
Draft
Cheatham was considered among the top corners available in the 2022 NFLHC Draft, but a lackluster period before the draft saw his stock drop slightly. He would eventually become a second round selection and the fourth cornerback selected.
Cincinnati Bengals
2022
Cheatham began the season as a rotational cornerback in the Bengals secondary along with Blake Turner and Aaron Stiles.
