Cincinnati Bengals 2022 Position Overview: DT
Players:
92. BJ Hill
98. DJ Reader
95. Zach Carter
96. Cam Sample
68. Josh Tupou
99. Tyler Shelvin
97. Tariqious Tisdale
The Bengals hit with two offseason transactions last year, in signing Larry Ogunjobi and trading for BJ Hill. However, Ogunjobi has since departed, joining the AFC North rival Steelers. How does that shake up the DT room?
BJ Hill moves up a spot, into Ogunjobi’s old role. The Bengals were able to get him re-signed, and likely chose him due to his overall consistency, over Ogunjobi’s peaks and valleys. Hill was able to take a big step forward last year, compared to his previous seasons with the Giants. Now taking on an even larger role, he will be relied upon to take yet another step forward.
DJ Reader will start at NT alongside Hill on the defensive line. Reader has been one of the best NT’s in the league, going back to his days with the Texans. He should continue to be a big part of the team’s run defence.
The spot to backup Hill at 3T will be up for grabs, and it has the potential to be one of the more interesting battles in camp/preseason. In an ideal world, rookie Zach Carter takes that spot and runs with it. He is an athletic player, but also has enough strength and a variety of pass rush moves necessary to succeed at the position. That said, it is hard to say how a rookie 3rd round pick will handle things until you actually see them in action.
Cam Sample is also someone who could be in the mix here. He is actually a DE by trade, and mostly played on the edge last year. Some may be surprised to see me including him in this article, rather than my DE overview. Ultimately, he will likely see time in both spots. But I think his skillset combined with the team’s lack of depth at 3T may give him a shot to see extended snaps from the interior. Zach Carter’s development could play a big part in Sample’s inside/outside snap distribution.
Josh Tupou and Tyler Shelvin should be battling it out for the backup NT spot behind Reader. I think the Bengals would like to see Shelvin take a big step forward, as he is the one they have draft capital invested in. But Tupou has quietly been a very solid piece of the rotation, and this staff is high on him, despite him being a holdover from the Marvin Lewis era. With limited roster spots available, I wonder if there is an avenue for both to make the roster, or if one may have to settle for a spot on the practice squad.
Rounding out the position group is rookie UDFA Tariqious Tisdale. He is a bit of a DT/DE tweener, but I like his skillset. I wouldn’t completely count him out when it comes to the 53 man roster competition. If he can’t crack the roster, he seems like an ideal practice squad candidate.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)