Jordan Battle, Jermaine Burton among highest-graded Bengals from preseason finale

A couple of promising young players led Pro Football Focus' list of highest-graded Cincinnati Bengals players from the team's preseason finale -- a 27-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Cincinnati's starters didn't play in the game, so there was additional on-field opportunity for some of the younger guys to show their stuff.

Highest-graded Bengals from preseason finale

Second-year safety Jordan Battle was the highest-graded player overall, while rooke wide receiver Jermaine Burton was second. Rookie cornerback Josh Newton, defensive back Michael Dowell and offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland rounded out the top five.

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who watched the game, as Battle had probably the play of the preseason for the Bengals with an impressive pick-six on Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.

That play encapsulates why the Bengals are so excited about Battle heading into his second season. He has the skill set to be an elite defender in the league. And while Battle accounted for one of Cincinnati's two touchdowns in the preseason finale, Burton accounted for the other one with an impressive catch in the fourth quarter of the contest.

That was Burton's second touchdown catch of the preseason, as he also secured one in the opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He appears to be as good as advertised after the Bengals selected him in the third round of the 2024 draft.

Both Battle and Burton are locks to make the final 53-man roster, and that likely would have been the case regardless of preseason play, but it's much more encouraging to see them both flash their big-play potential.

Newton is also likely to make the final roster, while Kirkland sits squarely on the bubble. Despite his well-graded performance, Dowell was waived by the team following the preseason finale. Other teams will now have an opportunity to pick him up, if they so choose.