One of the most intriguing camp battles this year for the Bengals is at the strong safety position, a spot that Iloka can compete for with his 6'4 220 pound frame. Iloka was a fifth round pick for the Bengals in 2012. He played in 7 games last season on special teams, gaining experience in the speed of NFL football.
Iloka was an integral part of Boise State's success as a non-BCS elite contender. Iloka was steadily athletic enough to cover receivers despite his height during his college years. He is much better in the coverage department than the recently released Robert Sands and Taylor Mays, two other tall safeties. Iloka's strength is his physicality as an in-the-box safety, something Mike Zimmer has been seeking for some time now. The reason Zimmer has leaned towards taller safeties in the draft over the last few years is to have someone step up as a feared presence in the back end to pair with Reggie Nelson. He wants receivers to have a physically imposing figure on the back end of the defense in the back of their minds.
Iloka played in 53 games at Boise State and showed an inconsistent ball hawking skill set with 7 interceptions and 17 pass breakups. He was the leader on defense over his last couple seasons with the Broncos, and has a chance to be a savvy signal caller in the secondary.
From the looks of minicamp, Iloka and Shawn Williams will compete for the spot in the starting 11 on defense. If Iloka has matured into a more consistent player for the defensive unit during the offseason training programs, he should be the front runner when training camp opens up later in the month due to his resume and last year's experience, and his overall potential to be a solid pro for 5 plus years.
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