People aren’t counting on the Cincinnati Bengals to be all that competitive in 2021 and a big reason why is their division is tough and their roster has more weaknesses than strengths.
While the offensive line, linebackers, and tight ends don’t pop off the page, the Bengals have two position groups in particular that could be the best in the league this year. It won’t be easy, of course, and even if these guys are the best in the NFL, they could still manage to get overlooked simply for being members of the Bengals.
For the team to be competitive and relevant this year, it’s important for these guys to play like they’re the best at their position and if that happens and the weaknesses play better than anticipated, the Bengals could surprise some people this year.
One of these groups is a pretty obvious one but the other one is listed because one of the best players in the league is at that position and that automatically ups its stock. Plus, the surrounding talent isn’t too shabby either.
Let’s take a look at the two position groups on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster that could end up being at the top of the pack when the 2021 season is in the books.
Bengals could have the best safeties in the NFL
It’s no secret how good Jessie Bates is and he honestly feels like the team’s best-kept secret at times. I say that because playing an undervalued position like safety and also being a Bengal has made Bates an underlooked player in the NFL but he shouldn’t be.
In fact, most ‘top safety lists’ have Bates in the top 10, including one from Pro Football Focus last month that had him at No. 8. Bates is entering a contract season too, assuming the Bengals don’t get him signed to an extension prior to the start of the regular season, so this is only going to make him play harder.
Throw in that Bates is paired with Vonn Bell in the secondary and this is a duo that could be at the top of the league when the season is finished. Bell was a good player for the Saints, who drafted him in the second round back in 2016 and had a promising inaugural season in Cincinnati last year.
While Bell isn’t getting as much hype as Bates, the two made a good team last year and it’ll be fun to see what kind of havoc they can wreak in 2021.
Watch out for Bates and Bell this year. They could make the Bengals’ safety position one of the best in the league.
Bengals could have the best wide receivers in the NFL
I’m sure when most of you saw this article, you knew wide receivers would be one of the two positions I listed because — Well, look at this group.
The Bengals were already set up nicely at wide receiver prior to the draft, as both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd were coming off impressive seasons and Auden Tate was a nice player as well. Cincinnati took Ja’Marr Chase in the first round, only adding to the ferociousness of the wide receiver room.
Chase was Joe Burrow’s favorite target at LSU and Bengals fans hope to see that continue again. He’s already been dubbed as the rookie receiver who is going to be the best of his class this year and there’s a strong case for him to win the Offensive Player of the Year award if he and Burrow put on the same kind of clinic they did at LSU in 2019.
Higgins was taken in the second round last year and impressed greatly as a rookie. The hope was that he would become Burrow’s No. 1 guy and while he’ll have to battle it out with Boyd and Chase for that role, he’s still definitely going to get his.
Boyd is the longest-tenured receiver out of the main three and gets overlooked all too often. He had 1,000+ yard seasons in 2018 and 2019 and is still a threat to put up big numbers. The fact that he’s the No. 3 option shows how stacked the Bengals’ wide receiver room is.
It’s going to be fun watching these guys rise to the top of the leaderboards this year.