Cincinnati Bengals: 4 underrated players to monitor vs Washington
By Kyle Smith
Underrated Cincinnati Bengals – No. 3: Darius Hodge
Talk about a diamond in the rough. As an undrafted free agent in 2020, Darius Hodge has put in the work and has flashed throughout camp in Cincinnati along with strong camp practices came a dominant performance in Tampa.
Running with the twos and the threes, Hodge dropped one of the best performances of the weekend. In only 26 snaps, Hodge recorded 5 total pressures and 1.5 quarterback sacks. PFF graded him at 89.6, the third-highest non-first-round rookie. Hodge has an energizing motor and is explosive coming off of the ball.
The Bengals ranked last in the league in sacks during the 2020 season, and finding a talent like Hodge came at just the right time. With Joseph Ossai set to potentially miss a few weeks this preseason with a wrist injury, Hodge will get more valuable reps to put his abilities on tape.
If he continues to build on his performance against the Buccaneers, Darius Hodge could be well on his way to making the 53-man roster, and potentially playing an important role for Lou Anarumo and company.