3 players who need to perform during Bengals first preseason game

Some football fans view the preseason as meaningless, since the games don't technically count. But, preseason contests are far from meaningless for players on the roster bubble or those looking to climb up the depth chart before the start of the regular season. For those guys, the preseason means a whole heck of a lot.

Here's a look at three Cincinnati Bengals players who need to perform well during the team's first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, August 10.

Bengals who need to ball out in the first week of preseason play

Myles Murphy, Defensive end

Myles Murphy is entering his second season with the Bengals after the team selected him in the first round (28th overall) of the '23 draft, and following the season-ending injury suffered by Cam Sample in training camp, there will be added pressure to perform on Murphy.

After a relatively quiet rookie campaign, the Bengals will need Murphy to step up in during his sophomore season. As a rookie, Murphy recorded just 20 total tackles and three sacks. He also played just 28 percent of all defensive snaps for Cincinnati.

That number is very likely to increase in the upcoming campaign, as the opportunity will be there for Murphy to become a consistent contributor. The first preseason game will be an excellent opportunity for the former Clemson star to show that he's ready for a larger role.