The Cincinnati Bengals, for the most part, have a rock-solid roster and that should help them compete for another trip to the Super Bowl.
Because of how stacked the Cincinnati Bengals‘ roster is, it’s hard to pick out one true strength and one true weakness. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus did this for all 16 AFC teams and he said the Bengals’ strength was at wide receiver and their biggest weakness was at tight end.
Let’s start with the receivers as the strength. Here’s what Monson had to say:
"Both Chase and Higgins averaged over 2.1 yards per route run last season, and all three receivers generated a passer rating of over 100.0 when targeted."
Yeah, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. When the Bengals drafted Ja’Marr Chase, it wasn’t because they needed a wide receiver but because they wanted to reunite him with his college quarterback. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd were doing just fine as WR1 and WR2 but throwing a third and better option into that mix only made the unit stronger.
Here’s the analysis that Monson offered on tight end being the Bengals’ biggest weakness:
"Sample has never gained more than 16 first downs in a season, and though Hurst has real athletic talent, he has now been kicked to the curb by two different teams in his NFL career. Hurst earned a career-low PFF grade in his most recent season in Atlanta with just 1.0 yard per route run."
Bengals’ biggest strength is on offense but so is their biggest weakness
Cornerback has also been frequently mentioned when it comes to discussing the Bengals’ biggest weakness and I’d go with that over tight end.
Is the Bengals’ tight end spot as good as it could be? Not at all but Hayden Hurst is going to put together a more impressive season than people think. Even if he doesn’t come through, the Bengals’ offense doesn’t need a top-tier tight end due to all of the talent they have at wide receiver and at running back.
Do you agree with Monson on his strengths and weaknesses for the Cincinnati Bengals?