Last week, the Bengals took on the Detroit Lions in their preseason opener. The starters got some work, but also, it was the first chance for some of the rookies and fringe guys to make a name for themselves in live game action. An important part of the process that will eventually see the 53 man roster named.
Winners:
DT, Kris Jenkins
Albeit against the Detroit second team, Jenkins looked like he was playing with a purpose, and was consistently impactful. His impacts came both as a pass rusher and run defender. He was noticeable enough just through the disruption he created, but he was also rewarded on the statsheet with a sack and 5 tackles.
DT, Landon Robinson
Robinson, meanwhile, racked up half a sack and a couple of tackles. While not as impactful as Jenkins, I thought Robinson was noticeable. You could see the athleticism translating against this level of competition. For a rookie 7th rounder, it was a good preseason debut.
DE, Cedric Johnson
Johnson has an opportunity for a rotational role, with Shemar Stewart still out with an injury. I don’t really see him as a consistent run defender, but I like what he brings as a pass rusher. The preseason opener matched what I saw out of him towards the back-end of last season. He can get around the edge, and continues to show he can provide value in a rotational role.
DE, Cashius Howell
Howell was also quite impactful. The speed and the bend that made him a great prospect were on display. He had a couple of quick wins. Aside from a fumble recovery, there wasn’t a lot to speak of on the statsheet, but the tape was better than that would suggest.
TE, Jack Endries
This wasn’t the kind of game that would blow you away, but Endries showed that he belonged. He caught a TD from Flacco, and made a couple of other catches as well, totaling 25 yards
TE, Cam Grandy
Given the TE depth, it is hard to think of Grandy as being anywhere but on the outside looking in. But the blocking TE saw work with the first team offence and looked good in his blocking assignments. Of course, Drew Sample seems to have a firm hold on that role, which is why I still feel like Grandy is on the outside. But he is doing what he can to showcase himself, either for the Bengals or another team.
CB, DJ Ivey
Ivey has been working as a starter on the outside with Dax Hill out due to injury. He has battled in camp, and turned in a good performance against the Lions. He had a pass breakup and was pretty tight in coverage for most of his snaps.
LB, Swayze Bozeman
Bozeman was thought to be on the outside looking in for the depth LB spots, but his good showing has made him a bigger part of the conversation. He looked instinctive and showed good form as a tackler.
WR, Ke’Shawn Williams
Williams got work as a kick returner, and showed the same dynamic qualities I noticed last season. Charlie Jones has been failing to impress, and Williams seems to be putting himself into position to claim that spot.
WR, Dohnte Meyers
Meyers, one of the talks of camp, also looked like he belonged. It wasn’t an overly productive day from a numbers standpoint, as the Bengals spread the ball around. But he looked smooth in the slot, making 3 catches for 29 yards, which actually led the team. He added 13 yards on a jet sweep.
S, Russ Yeast
The S4 battle seemed to be squarely between PJ Jules and Daijahn Anthony. But those two both had some issues in the preseason opener. I wouldn’t say Yeast particularly stood out, but he took advantage of an errant pass, picking it off to seal the win. Maybe he enters the conversation for the last spot.
Losers:
RB, Kendall Milton
Milton looked sluggish as a runner and didn’t really do anything to separate himself. As well, he had a fumble in Detroit territory that was recovered by the defence. The slippery conditions maybe could see him given some slack, but even without the fumble, there just wasn’t much there.
RB, Tahj Brooks
Maybe the good news for Milton is that Brooks also failed to impress. Brooks would probably still have the edge, as a recent Bengals draft pick. But he’ll have to show something soon or the Bengals may look to the waiver wire for a new RB3.
G, Jalen Rivers
Rivers hasn’t been good in camp, especially when working as an OT. In this game, even at G he didn’t look great. Multiple pressures were given up. He’ll need to bounce back in the next game, or he could fall down the depth chart.
WR, Charlie Jones
I touched on Jones a little bit earlier. But again, he failed to impress as a receiver. He has a fine track record as a returner, having multiple return TD’s since entering the league. However, I don’t feel like he has always passed the eye test. Williams looks more dynamic. I thought this at the end of last season, and again through preseason week 1. If this keeps up, Jones is at risk of losing his spot.
QB, Josh Johnson
The journeyman QB worked as the QB3 in this one. Despite his experience, there were times he looked flustered, and I wasn’t impressed by his arm. He has won some games in the NFL, including one last season, so I suppose you could do worse for a QB3. And it helps his cause that Sean Clifford doesn’t look like strong competition. But Johnson will still have to improve, as the team could bring in an outside guy after roster cuts to serve as QB3.
S, PJ Jules
Jules is competing for the last S spot. He had a pass interference penalty and a blip or two on special teams. Especially with special teams being his calling card, he will need a bounce back game in week 2.
S, Daijahn Anthony
The good news for Jules is that Anthony also has not looked good on the defensive side. He had some tacking issues and his coverage leaves some to be desired. I wouldn’t say Russ Yeast really had a standout game for the Bengals, but he did get that interception, even if the QB was mostly at fault. The battle for the last spot has opened up, it would seem.
OT, Orlando Brown
For the preseason, I try to keep it more about the guys who are battling, rather than the established starters. But I couldn’t leave Brown off this list. He got absolutely burned around the edge by a rookie UDFA. The Lions did not play any starters, yet Brown still had his struggles. Concerning.
OT, Andrew Coker
I had some hope that Coker could challenge for one of the depth spots. Maybe he can still get one, but my confidence in him has gone way down after his good preseason last year. Against the Lions, he was in trouble quite a bit, and gave up multiple pressures and a sack.
