Bengals Roster: Realistic expectations for Brad Robbins in 2023

The Cincinnati Bengals spent one of their sixth-round picks on Michigan punter Brad Robbins. Teams don't spend draft picks on punters all that often so the Bengals clearly felt that Robbins could help this team get to their goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history.

Punter was on the list of needs for the Bengals heading into the draft after they had struggles in the punting department during the 2022 season. Kevin Huber, the Bengals' long-time punter, didn't have it anymore so the team moved onto Drue Chrisman and had mixed results.

Chrisman's lousy punt in the waning minutes of the AFC Championship Game helped get the Kansas City Chiefs into field goal range and... well, we know what happened next, no need to dive into it.

The point being that having a punter who could put more hang time onto the ball in that moment might lead to a different result. Enter: Brad Robbins.

What should Bengals fans expect from Brad Robbins in 2023?

The expectation for Robbins is for him to beat out Chrisman for the Bengals' punter job this year. If he doesn't, that'd be considered a massive disappointment and a wasted pick.

The Bengals spent a late draft pick on a non-sexy pick because they felt that it'd make them a better team. It worked out well for them when they spent a fifth-round pick on Evan McPherson in 2021, now it's time to see if it works out for them again.

Robbins can fix a critical mistake that the Bengals made in the AFC title game and that's why he's the favorite to win the punting job. He should end up as the Cincinnati Bengals punter when the team heads to Cleveland for the Week 1 matchup against the Browns.