4 players the Bengals will be thrilled to have back on the field in 2022

2. B.J. Hill

The Bengals made a trade last summer that involved sending former first-round pick, Billy Price, to the Giants in exchange for defensive lineman, B.J. Hill. At the time, it felt like a win-win for the Bengals, as they parted with a guy who was looked at as a “bust” and added a depth piece for their rebuilding defense.

Hill ended up being one of Cincinnati’s best players during his inaugural season in the Queen City. He finished with 50 tackles (six for loss), 12 QB hits, and 5.5 sacks during his 16 games in the 2021 season.

Hill’s biggest moment came in the AFC Championship Game when he had a key interception off Patrick Mahomes that sparked the stripes’ comeback. This defense isn’t the same without Hill last year, as the guy really stepped up when Larry Ogunjobi went down.

When Hill was set to hit free agency, fans knew he was a must for the team to re-sign and fortunately, they were able to get him back on a three-year deal worth $30 million. Keeping him in the stripes is huge for this defense because he’ll continue to help this defense improve and grow stronger moving forward.