Cincinnati Bengals 2022 Position Overview: WR
Players:
1. Ja’Marr Chase
85. Tee Higgins
83. Tyler Boyd
11. Trent Taylor
80. Mike Thomas
17. Stanley Morgan
12. Pooka Williams
16. Trenton Irwin
19. Kendric Pryor
18. Kwamie Lassiter
15. Jaivon Heiligh
14. Jack Sorenson
The Bengals have one of the top trios of starting WR’s in the NFL. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will start on the boundary, with both looking to repeat the stellar season that they had in 2021. Tyler Boyd, meanwhile, will once again line up primarily in the slot. There are very few questions surrounding this trio, other than how much higher is their ceiling. If there is one thing to monitor, it is how much each one will be moved around, as there has been some talk of Chase seeing a few more snaps in the slot this year.
Unlike the top three, major question marks surround the depth positions. In recent days, it has been reported by Paul Dehner Jr. that the Bengals may be looking for outside help.
Bringing in a more established option as the number 4, like Will Fuller, would not only help the rotation, but also provide the Bengals with more insurance, should Chase, Higgins, or Boyd go down with injury.
Regardless or whether or not the Bengals make an outside addition, the back-end receiver battles will be quite interesting.
Trent Taylor is the most “established” of the group, but I am probably using that word a bit loosely. He did have some early success with the 49ers before injuries stopped his momentum. He spent most of last year on the Bengals practice squad. Moreover, he isn’t really someone who is that effective outside the slot, which doesn’t make him an ideal fourth receiver. Nevertheless, if things remain as is, he is in the running to grab that spot.
Things get even thinner after Taylor. Mike Thomas and Stanley Morgan have the most NFL experience of the bunch. Thomas has seen some snaps on offence, but has primarily been a special teamer. Morgan has almost exclusively been a special teamer, with his snaps on offence coming in a run blocking role. It is hard to see Morgan rising higher than the 5th or 6th spot. Thomas might have a shot at the 4th spot, but that speaks more to the lack of depth than him as a receiver.
Trenton Irwin also has a little NFL experience, and he did impress in last year’s preseason. However, like Taylor, he spent most of last year on the practice squad, and would be tough to rely on in an expanded role.
If the Bengals do not bring in a new face, hope might rest on one of the unknowns standing out in camp/preseason and establishing themselves. In fact, that happening would be good regardless of whether or not they add to the position group.
Pooka Williams is the name I am looking at. Like the rest of the guys left, he is unproven. But to me, his name stands out because he has a different skillset. I talk about this in another article, but to sum it up, his athleticism is unique on this roster, and the potential to use him in a gadget role is intriguing. Rookie UDFA Kendric Pryor also fits this description to an extent. I don’t think his athleticism matches that of Williams, but he did have success running gadget plays in college. And unlike Williams, he has more experience playing the receiver position, as Williams is a converted RB.
The remaining players are rookie UDFA’s Kwamie Lassiter, Jaivon Heiligh, and Jack Sorenson (for more information on these players, and the rest of the Bengals 2022 UDFA’s, check out this article). Lassiter received a bit of praise from minicamp and OTA’s, but you can’t draw many conclusions from padless practices. Each of these guys have their limitations, but considering the current lack of depth, they may get more of an opportunity than they would have in other years. Spots 4-6, or perhaps 4-7, should all be up for grabs. And even if an addition is made, two or three roster spots will still be up for grabs.
As well as the roster spots, the depth players will be competing for a couple of spots on the practice squad. It will be interesting to see how these battles end up, and who, if anyone, takes advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
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