Predicting the Bengals’ 53-man roster shows major improvement

Cincinnati Bengals roster predictions: The defensive line and linebackers

Defensive line (9)- Geno Atkins, D.J. Reader, Carlos Dunlap, Sam Hubbard, Carl Lawson, Mike Daniels, Renell Wren, Khalid Kareem, Andrew Brown

The defensive line is again looking like the biggest strength of the team, especially with the addition of Mike Daniels. His presence will allow Geno Atkins to get adequate rest and to return to form after a bit of a down season in 2019.

The front office should be credited for the way the room has been built. There is a tremendous amount of veteran leadership and experience mixed in with youth and potential.

Linebackers (6)- Josh Bynes, Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Markus Bailey, Austin Calitro

For the first time in a long time, the Bengals have a plethora of talent in their linebacker room. It’s a good problem to have, but it could lead to letting a good player walk, depending on how the numbers fall.

Right now, it appears that the final spot will come down to a battle of Jordan Evans vs. Austin Calitro. Four other teams attempted to acquire Calitro when he hit the waiver wire, speaking to the potential he possesses. The Bengals would be wise to keep him around.

Don’t count Evans out though. The former Oklahoma Sooner saw a major dip in playing time in his first year under Taylor, but he’s appeared to completely transform his body this offseason, which should help him fit the mold of a modern NFL linebacker much more adequately. Not to mention, he’s one of the few players in the unit that has significant playing time at the professional level, an invaluable commodity.