COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Cincinnati Bengals will have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL in 2023. With a top two quarterback in Joe Burrow, a top five wide receiver in Ja’Marr Chase, the league’s best receiving corps, Joe Mixon back on a restructured contract, a relentlessly tough defense and a fearless leader in head coach Zac Taylor, the Bengals are poised for another run to the Super Bowl.
Burrow and Chase carry this team. That much is known. We know what we are going to get from them each week.
But there are other players on this team where we don’t know what we are going to get each week. And it’s those players, whether with good or bad performances, who are going to define the season.
The offensive line is still the most talked about position on the Bengals. It always will be, for as long as Joe Burrow’s career goes. But there are players at other positions who will have a major say in defining the season.
Below are nine players, since everything with the Bengals begins and ends with No. 9, who will define the 2023 Bengals.
1. Jonah Williams – Right Tackle: This was a no doubt number one pick. Williams made a lot of headlines this offseason when he requested a trade, but now he appears to be ready to move to right tackle.
Williams is entering his fifth season, and it hasn’t been a smooth ride so far. There have been some positives, such as being the starting left tackle on the Bengals Super Bowl team. But the former first round draft pick never was the franchise left tackle he was drafted to be in 2019. He has his struggles with elite pass rushers, and he has a lengthy injury history.
Maybe moving to right tackle will resurrect his career. Then again, has his career even gotten off the ground? Zac Taylor’s first draft pick as head coach of the Bengals has been an up-and-down player throughout his first four seasons, but he is the number one player who will define the 2023 season. A solid season at a new position will only add to the Bengals revamped offensive line, while a down season may put a cap on how good the Bengals offensive line and offense overall can be this season.
2. Orlando Brown Jr. – Left Tackle: Speaking of left tackle, the biggest Bengals free agent signing, and one of the biggest offseason free agent signings of the entire NFL offseason was Orlando Brown Jr.. Brown Jr. spent the last two offseasons with the Chiefs and became a stalwart at left tackle. Despite this being his third team in the last six seasons, Brown Jr. has made a name for himself as one of, if not the best, left tackles in the NFL.
For the first time in his career, Joe Burrow will have an elite left tackle protecting his blindside. That’s critical considering the list of elite edge rushers the Bengals will face this season: Myles Garrett, Bud Dupree, Nick Bosa, Von Miller, Will Anderson, T.J. Watt, Josh Allen, Chris Jones are all on the Bengals schedule. And as we have seen the last two seasons, they can make all the difference in the biggest game of the year.
3. Cordell Volson – Left Guard: One of the biggest surprises last season was the development of the Bengals rookie left guard, Cordell Volson. From being a fourth round draft pick out of North Dakota State to being in the starting lineup for week one, Volson became one of the offensive line’s most reliable players. How he plays in year two, if he can avoid the sophomore slump, will go a long way towards how the offensive line performs overall and the success of the team in 2023.
4. Dax Hill – Safety: Hill will be replacing one half of the safety tandem of Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III, both of whom were lost in free agency this offseason. Hill played sparingly in 2022, and his play, to me, suggested that he still has some learning to do. But he was a first round draft pick for a reason, and his performance as a playmaker in the preseason last year showed why. Now, suddenly, thrusted to the front of the safety room, Hill will play a prominent role this season in a secondary that is strong but also new-look. His growth from year one to year two will have a significant say on the team’s success in 2023.
5. Chidobe Awuzie – Cornerback: Speaking of the secondary, getting Awuzie back will be massive for the Bengals. Before tearing his ACL, Awuzie established himself as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks. A shutdown corner in man coverage and a knack for making plays, Awuzie was one of the top two ranked cornerbacks in man coverage in 2021, according to PFF. The other player: fellow Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton.
The Bengals will be facing some very good receivers this season. They’re going to need every bit out of their secondary to contain these high-flying offenses. Having a stalwart at cornerback in Awuzie will help that immensely.
6. Cam Taylor-Britt – Cornerback: As the Bengals evolved last season, so too did Taylor-Britt. From a “welcome to the NFL” awakening covering Amari Cooper on Monday Night Football in week 8 to, fast forward to week 14, and Taylor-Britt was instrumental in closing out the Browns with six tackles and two passes defended. If Taylor-Britt can continue his second-half and playoff ascension into year two, the Bengals secondary will be able to withstand the losses of Bell and Bates and still be one of the best in the NFL.
7. Trey Hendrickson – Defensive End: A key difference maker in the NFL is a ferocious edge rusher. Trey Hendrickson was that in 2021 with 14 sacks and 3.5 more sacks in the postseason. Last year, I constantly asked myself, “Where is Trey Hendrickson?” After recording a sack in 11 straight games in 2021, the former high-prized free agent signing only managed to record 8 sacks in 2022.
In a division with Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt and whoever is on the Ravens, a dynamic edge rusher is a huge difference maker. We know Hendrickson can be that kind of a difference maker. There is a lot of depth on the Bengals defensive line, and that’s a good thing. Hendrickson drew a lot of double teams last year, so more depth could be what he needs to free himself and get after the quarterback.
8. Tee Higgins – Wide Receiver: When Ja’Marr Chase missed four games last year, Tee Higgins emerged as this team’s number one receiver. With two touchdowns, 26 receptions and 371 yards in that four-game stretch, Higgins showed how valuable he is even when Ja’Marr Chase is on the field.
And it shows in big games too. Higgins had two touchdowns in Super Bowl LVI, which, fun fact, are the only two touchdowns by a wide receiver in Bengals Super Bowl history. In addition, Higgins also had touchdowns in both games against the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Patriots and Dolphins. He’s proving himself to be a receiver who performs well in big games. Considering the Bengals have several big games on their schedule this season, Higgins’s performance could go a long way to determining just how far the Bengals go this season.
9. Sam Hubbard – Defensive End: Move past the fact that he’s a Cincinnati kid. Ever since the Cincinnati Kid got his second contract, he has been a vital part to the Bengals defense. In fact, he’s gotten better since getting paid. With 14 sacks over the last two regular seasons and four more in the postseason, Hubbard has prove he’s more than just a great run stopper. It seems like when a big play is needed, Hubbard can deliver.
With Bates and Bell now gone, Hubbard is now one of the key players on the Bengals defense. He’s been consistent and has steadily ascended his numbers since getting his second contract. If Hendrickson struggles with double teams, look for Hubbard to be a playmaker. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time, and that could be what propels the Bengals to another deep playoff run.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 