Bengals Roster Breakdown: DE
Players:
91. Trey Hendrickson
94. Sam Hubbard
99. Myles Murphy
58. Joseph Ossai
96. Cam Sample
93. Jeffrey Gunter
52. Tarrell Basham
69. Raymond Johnson
90. Owen Carney
The Bengals are deep at the DE position this year, while also containing a group that is well diversified when it comes to skill sets. A mix of high profile returnees, and a couple of new faces will be relied on this year to carry much of the pass rushing load for the defensive line this year.
Nothing much is going on at the top of the depth chart. Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard are your bookend starters. Hendrickson is one of the league’s top pass rushers, and Hubbard is outstanding against the run, while also seeing his pass rush improve over the last couple of seasons.
The Bengals improved their depth by selecting Myles Murphy in the 1st round this year. He is expected to be part of a rotation that will give Hendrickson/Hubbard a break on some drives. Murphy still needs to develop his technique, which is common for rookies, but he has enough physical talent to contribute a little against the run and pass in year 1.
Joseph Ossai will also be a big part of the rotation. Despite what happened in the AFC Championship, his growth as a player was solid last year. With more experience, he might see more snaps than Murphy, especially given his ability to kick inside on passing downs. But both should have a role.
Cam Sample is next up on the list. Assuming he makes the team, I would expect his role to decrease a bit from last year. Though he isn’t the flashiest pass rusher. Sample can contribute against the run. The Bengals seem to like him, and I would expect him to have the edge over guys like Basham and Gunter.
It is hard to see the Bengals keep more than 5 DE’s, and the top 4 should be locked into a roster spot. Even Sample will be tough to knock off, which makes things difficult for Basham and Gunter, both of whom could likely crack a roster on other teams. They will get their fair chance to battle it out with Sample in camp/preseason for that last spot. The two losers of that battle are both candidates to be stashed on the practice squad.
If things are tough for Basham and Gunter, they will be really tough for Johnson. He made the New York Giants Roster as a rookie UDFA in 2021, picking up 1 sack that year. He looked pretty solid in the preseason last year for the Bengals, and earned a place on the practice squad. Johnson will have a tough time cracking the roster, but he is in play for a practice squad spot once again.
Carney, a 2022 UDFA, was signed to the Bengals practice squad closer to the end of last year. Like some of the others, a strong performance could put him in contention for a practice squad spot again. However, on paper, he looks like the longest shot of the group.
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