Re-grading the Bengals 2022 NFL Draft class after Year 1
The Cincinnati Bengals added six players during the 2022 NFL Draft. Now that we're one year removed from that draft and got to see what these players could do at the professional level, it's time to grade them!
For those who might have forgotten, the Bengals' 2022 draft picks were:
- Dax Hill
- Cam Taylor-Britt
- Zach Carter
- Cordell Volson
- Tycen Anderson
- Jeff Gunter
Out of this bunch, the only player we didn't see at all in 2022 was Tycen Anderson who missed the entire season due to injury. For that reason, he won't be included on this list because how can we grade him if he didn't see the field?
The other five players are fair game, however. What grades does everyone deserve? Let's dive in.
Stats and snap counts courtesy of Pro Football Reference
Dax Hill
The Bengals spent their first-round pick on the Michigan defensive back and it wasn't necessarily a pick that fans were expecting. The selection was clearly the Bengals' way of replacing Jessie Bates before he departed.
Because Bates was still on the team and Vonn Bell was also still starting at safety, there wasn't really a place for Dax Hill in the secondary at least not from a starting standpoint. He finished the season appearing in just 14% of regular-season defensive snaps and 42% of the special teams snaps.
When we did see Hill on the field, he made a lot of dumb rookie mistakes, which resulted in penalties. He did have to play more in the postseason and looked okay but we really just didn't see much from the rookie. Hopefully, this pick looks better a year from now when we see him in a starting role.