5 underrated Bengals who could have a significant impact this season
- Cam Sample needs to be a reliable pass-rusher
- DJ Turner is already looking like a steal
- Can Chase Brown work his way up the depth chart?
- Tycen Anderson basically guaranteed himself a roster spot
- Andrei Iosivas could be the steal of the draft
4. DJ Turner
DJ Turner has been impressive so far throughout training camp, and he made a few nice plays on the football in the preseason opener. Turner could find himself playing key snaps early on in his rookie season if Chidobe Awuzie isn't full-go by Week 1, and even if he is, coming off a torn ACL, he will not be able to jump into action, playing three downs every single series.
That's where Turner will come into play. The starting tandem is expected to be Awuzie and Cam Taylor-Britt, with Mike Hilton leading the slot. After that, Turner may be the next guy up and will see the field at high volume.
The good thing with Turner is that he has some solid chemistry with Daxton Hill from their days at Michigan, and Hill is expected to be the lead safety in 2023.
3. Chase Brown
Chase Brown had a historic collegiate career at Illinois, racking up well over 3,000 all-purpose yards and maintaining a career of 94.6 yards per game through four seasons. He also added 21 total touchdowns. Now he will look to transition those skills and production to the pro level with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Brown will have an uphill climb to see serious time, but his role could still be very impactful behind Joe Mixon. Right now, it seems like it's a race between Chris Evans and Chase Brown for the number two running back spot.
However, Trayveon Williams should be returning soon from the early camp ankle injury that he suffered and could also compete for the job. Chase Brown has a solid outing in his NFL preseason debut, hauling in three receptions for 33 yards and carrying the ball eight times.