The Cincinnati Bengals head to Washington on Friday for their second game of the preseason. The starters will get more time, but there are still some underdog stories to watch.
Underrated Cincinnati Bengals – No. 4: D’Ante Smith
At this point, D’Ante Smith is no secret to Cincinnati Bengals fans. A fourth-round pick out of East Carolina, Smith came out guns blazing in camp and has put his name near the top of the depth chart.
Smith ran with the twos last Saturday against the Buccaneers. Playing both left guard and left tackle, Smith was able to put his power and agility on display in both the run and passing game.
Following a solid performance in Tampa Bay, Smith was elevated to the second-string left guard behind Quinton Spain and even saw time with ones during Monday’s practice, per Sports Illustrated.
Smith was absent from Wednesday’s practice following a dehydration issue Tuesday night. It is unknown whether Smith will be able to play on Friday, but all of Cincinnati should be hoping he does.
Zac Taylor says D’Ante Smith had a dehydration issue last night so they held him out today. Monitoring if he will be better for Friday, could hold him out to be cautious.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) August 18, 2021
While Jackson Carman has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff, Smith could make up for what the coaches thought Carman would be at this point. Bengals fans should familiarize themselves with No. 70 as he will most likely crack the starting lineup at some point during the season.