These 2 Bengals will shine in camp, but miss 53-man roster

Football is often talked about as the ultimate meritocracy, until it isn’t. And Bengals fans have seen it happen before. This preseason, expect it to happen again. 

Training camp hasn’t even fully kicked off yet, but we already know of at least two players who are likely to shine in the preseason. Unfortunately, when it comes to the final 53-man roster, these two are likely to be left off, through no fault of their own… again.

Raymond Johnson III

We would love for Raymond Johnson III to make the final 53-man roster. But we have seen this movie before. 

In 2022, during Johnson’s first stint with the team, he barely missed out on a well-earned roster spot. In his second preseason with the team, he outperformed Myles Murphy by a wide margin. The only problem was that Murphy was a first-round pick and Johnson was a former undrafted free agent whom Cincinnati picked up in the offseason. 

If Murphy had performed like Johnson did in the 2023 preseason, Bengals fans would not have stopped talking about his potential. Instead, Johnson was released and Murphy went on to have an underwhelming rookie campaign, only to be outdone by an even more disenchanting second season.

It is cruel that, in Johnson's return to the Queen City, the Bengals decided to repeat history and select Shemar Stewart as their first-round pick in the 2025 draft. 

With two first-round picks on the roster, along with other recent draft picks like Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample, and Cedric Johnson, it will be an uphill battle that Johnson will find challenging to overcome. 

And then there is Trey Hendrickson, who is on the precipice of signing a contract extension that guarantees one less chair once the music stops. 

Nevertheless, Johnson not making the final 53-man roster won’t have anything to do with not deserving a roster spot. Fans should expect the veteran defensive lineman to outperform his competition in training camp and the preseason games. 

Johnson is everything that scouts and coaches claim they look for in a player. He gives 100% effort on every snap. His versatility enables him to provide a pass rush from both the edge and defensive tackle positions.

Shemar Stewart’s draft highlights, shown on TV, included him chasing down a ball carrier 30 years beyond the line of scrimmage. That was something we saw a few times from Johnson in his first stint with the team. 

Johnson’s almost certain cutdown-day release will be solely based on not overturning the apple cart, given that first-round pass rushers have a guaranteed place on the roster. 

Kendric Pryor

Another sequel that we have seen is brought to us by wideout Kendric Pryor. 

Seemingly every offseason and during preseason games, there is at least one player who jumps out as an under-the-radar guy who the team should try to find a way to keep, but just can’t. In 2022, one of those players was Pryor.

If Pryor performs on the same level as he did three preseasons ago, he could give the team a reason to find a trade partner for Jermaine Burton’s services. However, it is not in the Bengals’ DNA to give up so quickly on a third-rounder, no matter the circumstance. That is, unless your name is Paul Dawson.

Pryor is competing for the sixth receiver spot. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Charlie Jones, Andrei Iosivas, and Jermaine Burton will take up the first five places. 

That leaves Pryor, Cole Burgess, and Isaiah Williams as the likely contenders for the sixth and final receiver in the room.

While we will give a slight edge to Williams, determining who will grab the sixth WR spot should be one of the most intriguing and entertaining training camp battles to watch.

It is good that Pryor already has a rapport with Joe Burrow. 

So you’re saying there’s a chance

Both Johnson and Pryor could make the roster if the dreaded I-word comes into play. Let’s hope it doesn’t. But if I-words were to ravage their respective position groups, each of them would be at the top of the list of candidates to take a spot on the roster. 

However, there also remains the possibility that Pryor and/or Johnson sneak on the final 53 in other ways. 

It is unlikely the team would go with seven wideouts, given that tight end Mike Gesicki is a glorified slot receiver. But if the team were to go that route, Pryor would likely be the guy. And, he may beat out the competition for the last receiver spot.

With Trey Hendrickson still holding out and first-round selection Shemar Stewart still unsigned, one or both could not be on the opening day roster. That would leave what should be two guaranteed occupied spots vacant. It would be hard to imagine that Johnson would not be the one to step into the defensive line rotation if that were to happen. 

Furthermore, with the flurry of recent defensive line roster moves, the team seems unsettled at the defensive tackle position. With Johnson’s versatility, the coaching staff could choose to go with him over someone else who does not offer that value. 

In both cases, we should expect a strong showing from Johnson and Pryor in training camp and preseason games. Unfortunately, when it comes to the final 53-man roster, no matter how well they perform, they are ultimately auditioning for a place on another team.