There are not many secrets in the NFL, or at least there shouldn’t be. Between all of the tape, game film, scouting combine, and pro days there is not much left to the imagination. However, there are still some surprises that slip through the cracks. A few underrated and underappreciated players are seemingly known only to a handful of people.
The Cincinnati Bengals have a few examples of this on their incredibly talented squad. Here are four best-kept secrets on the Bengals roster heading into the 2023 season.
4. Chris Evans
While it may be difficult to imagine, a former sixth-round draft pick who has yet to see a significant amount of playtime in his first two seasons is one of the Bengals’ best-kept secrets.
Chris Evans has 35 offensive touches in his first two years in the NFL. Those touches resulted in 266 yards from scrimmage, three touchdowns, and an average of 7.6 yards per touch.
The former Wolverine running back has had his fair share of memorable plays with the team in the regular season and the playoffs.
Bengals RB Chris Evans (top of the screen) hits the Browns linebacker with a little hesitation in the middle of the route to create separation on this third-and-5. pic.twitter.com/yHFdMsCqFb
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 2, 2022
The reason Evans hasn’t seen more of the field remains a closely guarded secret out of the reach of Bengals fans.
Instead of giving him more offensive snaps, the coaching staff has elected to reduce his role in the offense and increase his time as a kickoff returner.
Returning kicks was not a part of the evaluation when the decision was made to make Evans the 206th overall pick in the 2021 draft. Evans only had one return for 26 yards while at Michigan. Last year for the Bengals, Evans had 10 returns for an average of 21.1 yards. Fellow running back Trayveon Willams led the team averaging 22.3 yards per return on 16 attempts.
With Joe Mixon restructuring his contract, Williams re-signing, and Chase Brown being drafted, we could potentially see even less of Evans. This will either keep him as one of the best-kept secrets on Cincinnati’s roster or signal the end of his time in stripes despite his obvious talent.
3. Chase Brown
Speaking of running backs, the Bengals may have stumbled upon a hidden gem in the most recent draft. The hype from the running back position in the 2023 NFL Draft surrounded Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. However, one of the best running backs available was Illinois’ Chase Brown. The Bengals were fortunate to land one of the players that is a perfect fit for what they need from the position.
Fortunately, the former Fighting Illini was still available for Cincinnati late in the fifth round. Brown was a workhorse for Illinois, carrying the ball 328 times for 1,643 yards. He rushed for the fourth-most yards in college football last season while proving he can catch the ball and be a reliable blocker when protecting the quarterback.
There were nine running backs drafted ahead of Brown despite none rushing for more yards in the 2022 season. Expect Mixon to remain the bell cow after restructuring his contract to stay in Cincinnati. But we should expect Brown to fit in nicely in the role Samaje Perrine left behind.
At the running back position, expect Robinson and Gibbs to garnish all of the national attention when discussing rookie running backs. This, along with being a Day 3 selection, will allow Brown to fly under everyone’s radar, making him a nice secret weapon for Bengals fans to admire.
2. Trent Taylor
The most overlooked aspect of the three phases of the game is special teams. Therefore, the contribution of those who impact that area can easily go unnoticed. An example of this is what Trent Taylor brings to the team.
Taylor was fourth in the NFL in total punt return yards last season. He was tied with rookie sensation Marcus Jones for first with the most returns over 20 yards with five. If this is your first time seeing this, you are not alone.
When trying to predict who will be on the final roster when it's announced, Taylor will be on the outside looking in with most predictions. However, as the guy who accounted for all 33 regular season punt returns for the Bengals last season, the coaching staff will feel more comfortable having him back there over anyone else currently on the roster.
Rookie wideout Charlie Jones will be in the mix as a punt returner which has fans buzzing. Yet, Jones’ career average was 8.1 yards per return. His best season was his sophomore year when he averaged 10.1 yards per return. Those numbers fall short of Taylor’s 10.3 from last season.
Taylor is quietly one of the best punt returners in the NFL. Not many people realize this, which makes him one of the very secret weapons on the Bengals' roster.
1. Jaxson Kirkland
While the Pittsburgh Steelers were drafting an offensive lineman in the first round, the Bengals got a first-round caliber offensive lineman as an undrafted free agent. Non-Bengals fans may read this as nonsense, but it is decidedly anything but.
Former Washington Huskies guard Jaxson Kirkland was considered a surefire first-rounder a season ago. However, injuries and Covid changed his trajectory.
However, last season the former Huskies guard’s performance showed he was still worth spending a draft pick on. Kirkland played well as a run blocker and pass protector. Pro Football Focus credited him with allowing zero sacks and seven hurries on 491 pass block attempts. The film from last season also shows he deserved to be selected in the draft.
With Cincinnati set at every spot along the offensive line except for right tackle, don’t look for Kirkland to start this year. However, expect him to make the final 53-man roster as the primary backup at the left guard position.
As with most UDFAs, Kirkland was overlooked by the scouts and coaches. But that overlooking is a gift for Cincinnati as the now Bengals guard should be considered one of the team’s best-kept secrets.
It is hard to keep talented players under wraps in the NFL. That is, unless your team’s roster is stacked with talent expected to be in championship contention come February.
For the Bengals, there are several best-kept secrets on their roster. Let’s hope for them and the team these overlooked players can perform at the highest levels once they get their opportunity to show and prove what they are capable of.