4 potential candidates to be Bengals No.3 RB

The first two spots on the Cincinnati Bengals' depth chart for the running back position seem to be set in stone. Joe Mixon will start with rookie out of Illinois Chase Brown behind him. However, the third HB spot is very much up in the air. It's not clear who will earn that RB3 spot, as the front office could go in several different directions with it.

This may not be something that's crucial to the Bengals' success in 2023, but having depth is always a good thing and it's nice to know who may have to step in if either Mixon or Brown get injured. So, let's explore some potential candidates for that third running back spot on the depth chart.

I will keep this as realistic as possible. Sure, the front office could go out and sign Dalvin Cook or Ezekiel Elliot, but if they would just be relegated to that third spot, why would they? While it may be fun to speculate flashy names coming to Cincinnati, it simply wouldn't make much sense at all to spend a substantial amount of money on a free agent (like Cook) and have them be deep in the depth chart.

With that, let's discuss who could end up being the Bengals' RB3.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans

The most obvious choice and safest bet on who is going to lock up that third running back spot would be either one of the two players who are already listed at the position. Trayveon Williams has been with the team since 2019 and Chris Evans (not to be confused with the actor who plays Captain America) was taken in the same draft as Ja'Marr Chase and Evan McPherson in the sixth round.

I say this because, while these two players may not have made much of a splash during their time in Cincy, only having a few notable plays between them, they have at least proven to the coaching staff that they belong on the team.

Evans previously had a much more secure role on the team, as he was the starting kick returner up until last year when Williams leapfrogged him on the depth chart. Not only did Williams pass Evans as a returner but also as a running back as well, taking the RB3 spot away from the former Michigan Wolverine.

If you had to pick either of these guys to be running back number 3 on the team, Williams would be the better pick since he locked that spot up in the second half of the 2022 season, but anything can happen during training camp. Evans could return the favor and win the not-so-anticipated position battle or someone else could come along and take it from both of them...