Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill was placed on the physically active/unable to perform list mere days before veterans report to training camp. Amid all the excitement about Cincinnati's new-look defensive line anchored by Dexter Lawrence, this Hill news announced by the team hits like a ton of bricks.
It was just a brief press release from the Bengals. We don't really know the timeline of Hill's recovery, but he did deal with a foot injury throughout last year's training camp. Hill has been praised for his toughness for playing through pain in 2025. He ultimately had to undergo surgery this offseason.
Although Hill can return at any time once he receives medical clearance, this twist causes an immediate shakeup to the Bengals' d-line rotation and a core training camp competition.
Jonathan Allen snap count split plans go up in smoke
At least for the time being, the appealing concept of Jonathan Allen and B.J. Hill trading off reps next to Lawrence in the trenches is kaput.
Allen is a past first-round pick whose unwavering optimism about signing on in Cincinnati is a true beacon of hope for fans. Allen's mere presence more than anything he's said on the record gives Who Dey Nation a lot to be joyous about. The defensive tackle spot has been rough for the Bengals in recent years. Hence the trade for Lawrence after finishing 32nd in run defense last year.
What's difficult about the makeup of Cincinnati's current defensive line sans Hill is that there's a surplus of nose tackles and not many 3-technique types who flourish in Allen's role. Lawrence is the clear No. 1 nose, but T.J. Slaton and McKinnley Jackson are also in the mix.
It's therefore worth exploring who the next men up are in the wake of Hill's unexpected training camp absence. Will a rookie rise to the occasion? Or will a much higher-drafted Bengal finally start to pay off entering Year 3?
Hill injury escalates Kris Jenkins Jr. vs. Landon Robinson duel
B.J. Hill was the only starting-caliber player who played defensive tackle for the Bengals in 2025. That has mercifully changed. However, his medical setback exposes how thin the depth chart is behind him.
I've been unambiguous about my take that Kris Jenkins Jr. can't really hack it. The 2024 second-round pick is too small to be an impactful nose tackle, and not enough of an elite athlete or technique master to be a difference-making 3-technique.
Those are broad defensive front categories. We don't need to get technical with 2i or 4i techniques, OK? The point is, rookie seventh-round pick Landon Robinson has the physical tools to be more of a threatening interior pass rusher.
Now that Hill isn't in the rotation to timeshare with Allen, though, Jenkins has the clear inside track to be the next man up behind the latter.
It's not often you'd contend that such a low-drafted player as Robinson — who hails from the Naval Academy — could compete with a former star at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh in Jenkins whose father was a great NFL player.
These are the good problems Cincinnati has to sort out as its revamped defense takes shape before Week 1.
Robinson's undersized but powerful, squatty build draws comparisons to Bengals legend Geno Atkins. In fact, Robinson worked with Atkins' trainer, Clif Marshall, well in advance of the NFL Draft. Marshall was the one who brought up the Robinson-Atkins comp in the first place.
With Hill out of the lineup, Robinson can bump up in the rotation. If Jenkins isn't making many splash plays in his battles with the Bengals' starting offensive line, perhaps Robinson can get some run sooner than expected.
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