4 Bengals newcomers projected to be starters in 2023

Brad Robbins

Congrats rookie! You were drafted to a contender and will get to be a starter in your first year! That is what welcomed sixth-round pick punter Brad Robbins after the draft. 

Teams do not draft kickers and punters to have a competition at that positions. At least, not good teams. Since Cincinnati selected Robbins in this year’s draft, the writing has been on the wall. He is, without a doubt, the starting punter and holder for the Bengals. 

The coaching staff has claimed that Robbins must compete with incumbent Drue Chrisman, but the reality is that the former Wolverine will take over for the former Buckeye. 

Robbins is the only rookie projected to be a starter for the team this season. He could be joined by Charlie Jones later. But for now, we will give the punt and kick return spots to Trent Taylor and Trayveon Williams, respectively. 

Last year, the former Michigan punter averaged 42.3 yards per punt. That ranked 65th in the country. But the Wolverine was picked by the Bengals because of his accuracy and ability to keep the ball in the air longer than all other punters. 

Unless something completely unexpected happens between now and the start of the season, Robbins will be the team’s punter. 

Two newcomers on offense, one on defense, and one on special teams is not what you would call turning over the roster. Fortunately, the Bengals did not need to.

Let’s hope these new starters will upgrade their positions and help push the team back to where they want to be.