The Cincinnati Bengals need a new center in 2022 and beyond and this season has made that perfectly clear. Trey Hopkins was sorely missed in the loss to Los Angeles and that right there should tell you everything you need to know about the starting center position in Cincinnati.
Trey Hill struggled in his first start at center and while it was one start, he probably won’t be the answer moving forward. That’s not a huge statement considering he was a sixth-round pick.
With Hopkins and Hill probably not the starting center in 2022, the Bengals have two main options — Draft a center or sign a center in free agency. Trading for a starting center probably won’t happen and if it does, that probably speaks volumes as to that player’s abilities (see Billy Price trade from last offseason).
We’ll dive into both draft prospects and free-agent options for the Bengals this offseason. Maybe the draft prospects aren’t immediate starters but if that’s who Cincinnati ended up adding, Hopkins is still under contract next season, so he could keep his position for one more season before the team went in another direction.
With all of that said, let’s take a look at 10 potential starting center options for Cincinnati in the 2022 season and hopefully beyond.