Bengals' 53-man roster projection: Guard battles, D-line uncertainty as camp begins

New York Times

2 days ago

The Bengals open training camp on Wednesday with realistic Super Bowl aspirations and a steady diet of offseason headlines still hanging over them.
Beyond the contract drama surrounding Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart, the rest of the roster will be full of intriguing storylines as the Bengals try to finally start fast under coach Zac Taylor.
Here's a projected look at each position group, the depth chart, an analysis of the situation, one storyline to monitor, relevant quotes and a stat that matters as the club shapes the 2025 roster.
• Starter: Joe Burrow
• Backup: Jake Browning
• Outside looking in: Desmond Ridder, Payton Thorne (Auburn)
Analysis: The Bengals were looking to upgrade at the third quarterback spot in switching from Logan Woodside to former UC star Desmond Ridder. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher talked about having a soft spot for Woodside and what he has accomplished in his career, but Ridder arrives with an opportunity to round out the room with more experience.
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What to monitor: Not much. The clearest picture of any position on the roster. It seems unlikely Cincinnati would keep three quarterbacks, but if Ridder played well enough that the team didn't want to release him, there could be temptation.
They said it: 'Jake is the backup.' – Pitcher, leaving zero doubt.
Stat that matters: Burrow has dropped back to pass in a preseason game nine times (eight against Tampa Bay last year). Seven of those throws were out in 2.2 seconds or less. The only time he held it longer than 2.5 seconds was a 42-yard incompletion to Tee Higgins against the Bucs last year. Cincinnati will be careful with Burrow, as you would expect, but if he stays healthy along with the situation around him, it will be interesting to see if he not only plays but goes beyond the quick-hit passing game while dropping back.
• Starter: Chase Brown
• Backups: Samaje Perine, Tahj Brooks (Texas Tech)
NFI: Zack Moss (neck)
• Outside looking in: Gary Brightwell, Kendall Milton, Quali Conley (Arizona)
Analysis: This will be the Brown show. They are tweaking the running game to be built around his skill set and believe they have one of the most dynamic backs in football. Brown earned it last year when he ranked fifth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage from Weeks 9-17. There are roles for the other three, specifically Perine as a strong option in two-minute and passing downs, but Brown proved a significant weapon in those spots last year, too, so don't expect it to be a clear-cut split in those spots.
What to monitor: Where is Moss at in this mix? Perine has a role he developed and built trust in during his first stint in town. Moss is coming off his neck injury, but we don't know how effective he will be or how the Bengals could use him to give Brown a breather. He's the wild card in this room right now.
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They said it: Pitcher on plotting Brown's usage.
'Chase is gonna be a focal point of what we do. We are going to be cognizant of the workload over the course of an entire season because we plan on having him and we need to have him out there for the entirety of the year. Certainly you don't wanna burn a guy out, by the same token, you wanna make sure your most dynamic explosive players are on the field and ready to touch the football as many times as possible within a plan that keeps them available to you, so we'll figure out what that means, but, we're cognizant of it, and we want him to have success and stay available.'
Stat that matters: There have been only two running backs since 2020 to rush for 1,000 yards and add 500 yards receiving in a season: Jahmyr Gibbs and Christian McCaffery. Using Brown's pace from the second half of last season, he would hit those milestones with room to spare. There's a real possibility he pulls that off if he can stay healthy.
• Starters: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas
• Backups: Jermaine Burton, Charlie Jones
• Outside looking in: Cole Burgess, Kendric Pryor, Mitchell Tinsley, Isaiah Williams, Jamoi Mayes (Cincinnati), Rashod Owens (Oklahoma State), Jordan Moore (Duke)
Analysis: You can include Mike Gesicki in this group, even though he's listed below with the tight ends. The four top targets in the pass game are clear, and then there is a tier drop-down to the rest.
What to monitor: Burton. He's started rebuilding trust with this coaching staff, and there will be plenty of opportunities for him in the preseason. The results to this point have been good. He's shown up and been on top of things ever since the end of his disastrous rookie year. If he proves trustworthy and leaves his past issues behind him, the Bengals could have a significant weapon worth injecting into game plans.
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They said it: Mike Brown on whether he ever thought a deal with Higgins would not get done.
'Not really. We wanted to get the deal done. He wanted to get the deal done. There was money to haggle over, and we did and finally something came up that was acceptable to both sides, and it got done. He's happy here. We're happy to have him here.'
Stat that matters: Over the last four years, there have been 26 receivers with at least 3,500 yards receiving. Higgins ranks 34th among that group in overall snap percentage.
Go long Yosh.@JoeyB x @AndreiIosivas pic.twitter.com/QZfwZtwunf
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) June 11, 2025
• Starters: Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample
• Backups: Tanner Hudson, Cam Grandy, Tanner McLachlan
• PUP: Erick All Jr. (knee, out for year)
• Outside looking in: Kole Taylor (West Virginia)
Analysis: The small number of tight ends in camp speaks to the confidence the Bengals have in the top of the room. Gesicki really belongs in the receiver room, but Sample is beloved for his versatility and proficiency as a blocker. Hudson developed a trust with Burrow and Grandy worked his way from undrafted free agent to earning snaps last season.
What to monitor: Will McLachlan become anything? Last year's sixth-round pick failed to make an impression and was stashed on the roster but was only active for two games, falling behind Grandy in the process. Can a second camp tap into more of the talent they liked coming out of Arizona?
Stat that matters: The Bengals' usage of 12 personnel jumped dramatically last season. They ranked ninth in the NFL (29.1 percent), but largely because of All's impact. How much will that continue as the two-tight end trend continues to rise across the league, but All is not available?
• Starters: LT Orlando Brown Jr., LG Dylan Fairchild (Georgia), C Ted Karras, RG Lucas Patrick, RT Amarius Mims
• Backups: G/T Cody Ford, C Matt Lee, T/G Jalen Rivers (Miami), G Cordell Volson
• PUP: C Seth McLaughlin (Ohio State)
• Outside looking in: OT Jaxson Kirkland, C Andrew Raym, OT Devin Cochran, OT Andrew Coker, OL Andrew Stueber, OT Caleb Etienne (BYU)
Analysis: Nobody was being ruled out by Bengals brass in the battle for the two starting guard spots, but we did receive clarity on the leaders in the clubhouse. The path continues to clear for Fairchild to win the starting left guard job. This would be the ideal scenario; the team likes what they've seen from him thus far, but he'll need to show it when the pads come on. That entails beating out Volson, who hopes to reinvigorate his career under new OL coach Scott Peters. The right side will be between veterans Patrick and Ford. Patrick would be the leader here, but this could go either way.
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What to monitor: An interesting nugget dropped on Monday was Patrick's ability to play center, if necessary. It could potentially open an extra roster spot if they don't see what they want from Lee. We'll see how Lee performs and how much the Bengals tinker with Patrick at center. He played the entire 2023 season at that spot for the Saints.
They said it: Duke Tobin on the competition at right guard
'Those guys have shown that they can play and play effectively as starters. They both want to be the starter, for sure, and we'll see how it goes. There'll be other guys working through there. It's not as if we're only going to look at two guys. If somebody from beyond that group plays well and does things, maybe they can bubble into it. Maybe Cordell comes on and has a great camp or Kirkland or Stueber. I don't rule out anybody at this stage, but those two guys are certainly, they have proven that they can be starting players, and it'll be fun to watch them compete.'
Stat that matters: The last four years, there have been 22 rookies to play at least 50 percent of their team's snaps at guard. Just six of them graded at league average or better in pass protection, via PFF, though, all three rookies to qualify last year accomplished the feat.
• Starters: Edge Trey Hendrickson, DT TJ Slaton, DT BJ Hill, Edge Myles Murphy
• Backups: Joseph Ossai, Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M), Cam Sample, McKinnley Jackson, Kris Jenkins, Cedric Johnson
• Outside looking in: DT Taven Bryan, DT McTelvin Agim, Isaiah Thomas, Raymond Johnson III, Howard Cross III (Notre Dame), Eric Gregory (Arkansas)
Analysis: The Bengals will be without Hendrickson (holdout), Hill (foot) and Stewart (contract) to start camp on Wednesday. That means a heavy load of reps for young players that need them, but the unknowns that have been the talking points of the last few months are hard to avoid here. There's so little proven production in this room and such a large bet placed on development, this will be fascinating to watch progress as August unfolds.
What to monitor: Kris Jenkins. Hill's absence as the Bengals take their time working him back in — you won't see much of him in camp — means a full look at Jenkins as the starter. He needs to be better than last season. The lack of any real three-technique additions was a vote of confidence for Jenkins; he needs to make good on it in a hurry.
They said it: Zac Taylor on the addition of Bryan and Agim.
'That's been something we've talked about for weeks. Yesterday was the first day of workouts when we got everybody back in here and in the building, and to keep them here for camp. Feel good about adding those two guys to the mix. We just felt like a little light there going into training camp.'
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Stat that matters: There were 179 defensive linemen or linebackers with at least 200 pass rush snaps last season, via TruMedia. Hendrickson ranked sixth in pressure percentage (17.1 percent). No other Bengals player ranked in the top 90. Murphy was second at 9.8 percent, ranking 94th.
• Starters: Logan Wilson, Demetrius Knight Jr. (South Carolina)
• Backups: Barrett Carter (Clemson), Oren Burks, Maema Njongmeta
• Outside looking in: Joe Giles-Harris, Shaka Hayward, Craig Young
Analysis: The starting duo looks solid here. The Bengals love everything about Knight Jr. and pinpointed him in the second round for a reason. He started in OTAs and will on the first day of training camp next to Wilson.
What to monitor: What can Carter bring? The athleticism and periods of elite play at Clemson landed Carter in Cincinnati, but he didn't play as well in the post-Brett Veneables era for the Tigers. Was that coaching or did he fall off? We will find out how the coaching of new defensive coordinator Al Golden translates with the restructure of this position. It's easy to see him becoming an immediate contributor and star of the preseason.
They said it: Tobin on Wilson.
'Logan's proven he's a good player, and I think he would probably say that last year wasn't his best and he did get hurt in his time. As he goes, our defense will go. He is an important part of what we do, and he's a guy that we all believe in, that he'll come in and produce and play really well.'
Stat that matters: There were 37 linebackers in 2024 to play at least 800 snaps. In 2023, there were 41. None were rookies. Only three rookies have played at least 800 snaps in the last four seasons. One was Micah Parsons and the other two (Quay Walker, Jack Campbell) graded in the bottom quarter of the league in their rookie seasons, according to PFF.
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• Starters: Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner, Dax Hill
• Backups: Josh Newton, DJ Ivey, Marco Wilson
• Outside looking in: Micah Abraham, Nate Brooks, Jalen Davis, Lance Robinson, Brayln Lux (Texas Tech)
Analysis: The top four among this group are clear before the drop off to Ivey and Wilson. Don't count out Newton landing a starting job, specifically if he excels in the slot. He endured standard rookie growing pains last year, but flashed and is undeniably made of all the right stuff to see a jump.
What to monitor: Hill (ACL) will be eased in, specifically during the early portion of camp, but fully cleared and didn't land on the PUP list. How he's deployed will have a domino effect on who ends up an odd man out of the top three. Golden stressed the need for vertical depth as well as horizontal depth, and the versatility of Hill to play nickel, outside and safety was at the front of that conversion, though he's far from the only one with multi-position flex.
JUICE 🧃#WhoDey x @CamTaylorBritt_ pic.twitter.com/saSKkiM5du
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) June 3, 2025
They said it: Golden on what he noticed first about the Bengals' defense.
'The first day I got here … I just watched every game for the next three days. And the one thing that I kept coming back to is that the secondary is talented, and I think that bore true when I was out there with them in the spring, and they give us flexibility because they bought into what (secondary coaches) Chuck (Burks) and Jordan (Kovacs) are teaching. They make it fun to go to work every day.'
Stat that matters: There are 29 cornerbacks drafted since 2022 with at least 700 defensive snaps. The Bengals have three of them (Taylor-Britt, Turner, Hill).
• Starters: Geno Stone, Jordan Battle
• Backups: Tycen Anderson, Daijahn Anthony
• Outside looking in: Jaylen Key, PJ Jules
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Analysis: Those calling for a veteran addition to this position will be left waiting. The Bengals are going forward with the group as currently constructed. Stone and Battle are locked in as starters, with Battle receiving the largest amount of praise in the group. Stone took a pay cut this offseason, which makes it harder to buy into the support being thrown behind the safety, but there is extreme reliance on a bounce-back season from him.
What to monitor: Could Anderson be an option at safety? He's taken advantage of every opportunity given to him, most notably becoming a Pro Bowl-level special teams player. He picked off two passes in the 2023 preseason opener against Green Bay. He's a great story, but is he a viable option if injury or poor play befalls Stone or Battle?
They said it: Tobin on the decision to bring the safety room back intact.
'Jordan Battle is a guy that our new coaching staff is super excited about. Al is really excited about his potential, and so is everyone in the personnel department. When we took him, he was a guy that we felt like could really grow and play in a multiple-alignment safety roll. And Al's got a good design plan for him. With Geno, we believe in Geno. We didn't have a great year last year, and he takes some heat for that, but if you look up his stats in ball production, his tackles, they rank pretty high amongst safeties in the NFL. The guy is a ball disruptor and has been his whole career, and that's a positive thing to have in a safety. He and the rest of our defense have to be better tacklers. We were poor tacklers last year, and we are certainly on the way to making that better.'
Stat that matters: There were 41 safeties to take at least 900 snaps last season. Stone ranked 39th in missed tackle rate (17.7 percent). The only two worse than him were Justin Simmons, who is still a free agent, and Tyrann Mathieu, who just retired.
• Starters: K Evan McPherson, P Ryan Rehkow, LS Cal Adomitis
• Outside looking in: William Wagner (Michigan)
Analysis: There is no competition at kicker or punter, so all eyes will be on Adomitis and Wagner. Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons emphasized the need for time on task and trust in the entire operation to improve McPherson's numbers from a down 2024. Wagner could easily take the job despite Adomitis being the favorite.
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What to monitor: McPherson's ankle. He tweaked it in the offseason program. He is apparently fine now, according to Simmons, but it will be worth keeping an eye on to see if there is any residual impact.
They said it: Simmons on the kicking operation.
'Evan was very fortunate when he got here that he was a part of an operation that had been in place for a long time with Kevin (Huber) and Clark (Harris) and there's a great deal of trust that those guys have had … I just want to get something that's solidified and, stationary so they can all grow together and get locked in together.'
Stat that matters: McPherson connected on 50 percent of kicks over 40 yards last season. The NFL average was 74 percent. In the first three seasons (including playoffs) of McPherson's career, he connected on 78 percent of kicks from 40-plus.
(Top photo of Lucas Patrick: Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)