Players:
91. Trey Hendrickson
94. Sam Hubbard
58. Joseph Ossai
96. Cam Sample
56. Wyatt Hubert
90. Khalid Kareem
93. Amani Bledsoe
44. Darius Hodge
The Bengals went into the offseason with an alarming lack of depth at DE. Making matters worse was that they lost budding star, Carl Lawon, to the New York Jets.
After losing Lawson, they did well to act fast and bring in Trey Hendrickson from the New Orleans Saints. Hendrickson is coming off of a breakout season in which he recorded 13.5 sacks. He will be relied on by the Bengals to be their top guy coming off the edge, and the expectation is that he can put up similar production.
Sam Hubbard goes into the year as the number two, opposite of Hendrickson. He isn’t as flashy as Hendrickson, and is not expected to produce as much as him as a pass rusher. However, Hubbard was quietly really good against the run last year, something the team will be hoping that he can continue.
The Bengals used their 3rd round pick this year on Joseph Ossai and there are high expectations for him, especially from the fans. While he isn’t expected to start — at least not yet — he should play an important role as a rotational piece. His ability as a pass rusher should allow him to enter the field on 3rd downs and in passing situations. As he gains experience, perhaps he can snatch a starting spot, similar to what Carl Lawson did while he was with the Bengals.
In addition to Ossai, the Bengals used draft picks on Cam Sample and Wyatt Hubert with the intention of bolstering their depth. In what is now a crowded group, Sample and Hubert will compete with the likes of Khalid Kareem and Amani Bledsoe for maybe a spot or two on the roster.
Sample comes with the highest draft pedigree of the bunch, which might give him an edge, while Hubert has the motor and technical development that you look for in your depth options. Kareem, meanwhile, was selected late in last year’s draft. He had a solid rookie season, considering where he was selected. Some people believe that he can take another step forward, which is something that might be necessary to hold off the newer faces. Amani Bledsoe might be the forgotten name from this list. While he doesn’t offer a lot as a pass rusher, his ability against the run is something that will be taken into consideration when determining who will make the final roster.
Rounding out the edge group is UDFA Darius Hodge. He will have a tough task ahead of him as he tries to separate himself in a crowded group. His recent arrest for an incident that allegedly occurred in 2019 is something that only makes his future muddier.
Giving some hope to the backend guys who do lose out, is that there should be at least one or two spots up for grabs on the practice squad.
After a disappointing 2020 season from the position group, hopefully a revamped edge unit can produce better results in 2021.
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