Cincinnati Bengals 2022 Position Overview: DE
Players:
91. Trey Hendrickson
94. Sam Hubbard
58. Joseph Ossai
90. Khalid Kareem
93. Jeffrey Gunter
56. Wyatt Hubert
52. Noah Spence
The Bengals will go into the season in a good spot at the DE position. Trey Hendrickson had big shoes to fill as Carl Lawson’s replacement, and he was the heart of the pass rush. Sam Hubbard, meanwhile, started off slowly before taking a much needed step forward as a pass rusher. The two will once again be starting opposite each other, and will be a huge part of the team’s pass rush.
The depth behind Hendrickson and Hubbard was thin last year. For the 2022 season, the Bengals will be getting a much needed boost, as Joseph Ossai makes his return after missing his entire rookie year due to injury. It is hard to say just how much he will produce, but with his skillset, it is hard to see him not being a big part of the rotation.
The other spots will need to be won, but I do feel that Khalid Kareem has an early leg up on the others. He did show a few flashes last year, but probably won’t ever be a statistical standout. That said, he has always been pretty solid against the run, and has a skillset that can allow him to see time on the edge and inside.
Gunter, Hubert, and Spence round out the position group. They will likely be battling for a potential 5th spot on the roster, unless one can impress enough to take the 4th spot from Kareem. As well, they will be battling each other for potential spots on the practice squad.
Gunter is a rookie 7th round pick. He is pretty well developed technically, as a pass rusher that is. He has the tools to have a good offseason. Hubert missed his rookie year due to injury. He is an undersized player, but has an extremely high running motor. Both Gunter and Hubert profile more as situational pass rushers, which will make it interesting to see if the Bengals keep both.
Spence spent last year on the practice squad, but did receive some call-ups to the roster, as well. He is fine for a back-end player, but I do believe that he will need an especially good showing to jump ahead of guys like Gunter and Hubert. If all is equal, it is more likely that the Bengals will choose to keep the young guys over the veteran.
Cam Sample is also a name that should be mentioned here. He will be included in the DT overview that will follow this article. With the lack of depth at 3T, I think there is a solid chance that the Bengals kick him inside a lot of the time. That said, he’ll probably see some time on the edge as well, hence why I gave him a quick mention.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)