The Cincinnati Bengals begin training camp on July 27 and it’ll be the first step toward the beginning of the 2021 season. Bengals fans are excited to see this team take the field and see what kind of damage they can do in the ever-so-brutal AFC North.
Ahead of training camp, there are three position battles that fans will be watching closely. Let’s check out these position battles, shall we?
Cincinnati Bengals position battles to watch – No. 3: Linebacker
The Bengals’ run defense was atrocious last year, allowing the fourth-most rushing yards in the entire league. That falls squarely on the linebackers’ shoulders and despite their shortcomings, the unit doesn’t look much better heading into 2021. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus doesn’t think much of the Bengals’ linebacking corps at all, ranking them second to last on his linebacker rankings.
The two most veteran names on Cincinnati’s linebacker roster are Jordan Evans and Germaine Pratt with Evans entering his fifth year and Pratt going into his third year as a pro linebacker. Pratt has 24 starts under his belt in two seasons but the level of play hasn’t been sensational by any means. Pratt received a grade of 41.5 by PFF last year, so yeah… Not good.
While Pratt, Logan Wilson, and Akeem Davis-Gaither look to be the starters entering the 2021 season, an impressive camp from Markus Bailey could shake things up a bit. As Stripe Hype’s own Glenn Adams mentioned, Bailey is someone the Bengals are excited about and hope they can get a lot of production out of.
Adams also discussed how guys like Joseph Ossai (rookie third-round pick out of Texas) and Wyatt Hubert (seventh-rounder out of Kansas State) could end up seeing time as linebackers. While Hubert isn’t going to push for a starting spot, Ossai could make things a lot more interesting if he plays well this summer.
Pratt is someone who is certainly in danger of losing his starting gig and all it could take is a nice summer from Bailey, Ossai, or a dark horse who we don’t see coming. This is certainly a position battle to watch.
Cincinnati Bengals position battles to watch – No. 2: Defensive Line
The starting defensive line is pretty cut and dry with the starting four likely being Sam Hubbard, D.J. Reader, Larry Ogunjobi, and Trey Hendrickson. Ogunjoni and Hendrickson are newcomers to Cincinnati and were brought in to help the d-line improve and get after the quarterback, something they struggled with last year.
These four are probably going to be the starters but what about the depth behind? That’s where training camp will be fun and it’ll be interesting to see who stands out and wins the backup jobs.
The Bengals made it a point to add depth along their defensive line through the draft, using four of their 10 picks on the position. Cameron Sample and Tyler Shelvin are two names that Bengals fans are the most excited for and for good reason. Both are intriguing options and might get a chance to crack the starting lineup should injuries occur.
While the starting four aren’t likely to be dethroned (though Reader has a chance at getting passed by Shelvin), there are plenty of storylines surrounding the Bengals’ backups on the d-line. Seventh-round rookie Wyatt Hubert is someone who, despite when he was drafted, could make a splash this summer and surprise some people.
Cincinnati Bengals position battles to watch – No. 1: Offensive Guard
There’s no doubt that the offensive guard position is the battle to watch this summer. Both the left guard and right guard jobs are up for grabs and there are four guys who will be duking it out for the two starting jobs.
While many seem to think rookie Jackson Carman will be the starting right guard, it’s not a guarantee, especially if he doesn’t step up and show he’s ready for the transition this summer. It’s not easy to switch from tackle to guard or vice versa so the Bengals are putting a lot of stock into Carman being able to make the transition flawlessly.
Carman is one of the four guys vying for a starting job and the other three are Michael Jordan, Quinton Spain, and Xavier Su’a-Filo, all of whom have seen playing time for the Bengals. Spain appeared in nine games during his lone season in Cincy, Jordan has played in 27 games and made 19 starts through two years, and Su’a-Filo played in six games during his inaugural season with the Bengals.
Zac Taylor said it’d be fun to watch the guards duke it out this summer and while Bengals fans might not be as enthusiastic about the training camp battle, it’s important for the Bengals to make the right decision when choosing their two starting guards.
Both guard spots are vacant entering the 2021 season and half of the aforementioned guys will be starters when the season begins. The other two will be relegated to backup duties.