CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals open the 2024 NFL regular season against the New England Patriots on Sept. 8 at Paycor Stadium.
While all eyes will be on quarterback Joe Burrow, the defense provides the most intrigue as the team begins training camp. Cincinnati is projected to have at least three new starters after a busy free agency -- free safety Geno Stone, strong safety Vonn Bell and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.
A familiar face will be pushing to have a fourth starter at a new position. Dax Hill, the team's 2022 first-round pick, is competing for a starting job at outside cornerback. Hill's position versatility, an attribute that was touted when he entered the league from Michigan, will be put to the test.
Cincinnati is looking to improve a defense that allowed the second-most yards per play in 2023.
Here is a 53-man roster projection as the Bengals open training camp:
QUARTERBACKS (2): Joe Burrow, Jake Browning
The Bengals rolled with two quarterbacks at last year's cut-down despite the fact Burrow was dealing with a strained right calf. Browning proved to be a capable backup once Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury last season. Logan Woodside, a 2018 seventh-round pick by the Bengals, re-signed with the team in free agency and is slotted as the No. 3 option, and is likely headed to the practice squad.
RUNNING BACKS (4): Zack Moss, Chase Brown, Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans
Moss and Brown are the headliners of the group ahead of veterans Williams and Evans. Moss replaces Joe Mixon, who is with the Texans, and could help unlock a rushing attack that has lacked explosiveness. Brown flashed his potential last season. With Mixon gone, Moss and Brown's usage on first and second downs, as well as who emerges as a pass-blocking option on third down, are questions that need to be answered.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Charlie Jones, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Jermaine Burton
This will be one of the most watched groups in training camp. The battle for slot receiver should be between Jones, Irwin and Burton. Burton's development, both as an inside and outside option, will be a storyline worth monitoring throughout camp and the regular season. Chase has also expressed a desire to be in various spots of the formation, which could help an offense that lacked explosive plays in 2023.
TIGHT ENDS (4): Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, Erick All Jr.
All, a fourth-round pick out of Iowa, is coming off an ACL injury but was on track to return in time for training camp. The Bengals were very high on All in the draft process. Gesicki should be the primary pass-catching option while Sample remains one of the more underrated players on the entire roster. If Gesicki and All play well, this could be one of the best groups on the roster.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (10): Orlando Brown Jr., Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, Trent Brown, Amarius Mims, Cody Ford, Matt Lee, Trey Hill, D'Ante Smith
The offensive line is fortified by the two 6-foot-8 tackles nicknamed "Brown County." Cincinnati's commitment to large tackles extended to the 6-7 Mims, the team's first-round draft pick this year. With the addition of Lee at the end of the draft, that might put the squeeze on Jackson Carman, who didn't play in 15 games last year and was inactive for eight of those.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (10): Trey Hendrickson, Sheldon Rankins, B.J. Hill, Sam Hubbard, Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai, Kris Jenkins Jr., McKinnley Jackson, Cedric Johnson, Zach Carter
This was one of the toughest groups to parse through. The Bengals drafted two defensive tackles, Jenkins and Jackson, within the first three rounds. Rankins replaces DJ Reader, a cornerstone of Cincinnati's rebuild over the past four seasons. A lot will be expected of Murphy and Ossai as edge rushers. They will play an important role in making that front more disruptive and easing the burden on the main pass rushers.
LINEBACKERS (4): Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Joe Bachie
This is a pretty straightforward group. Wilson and Pratt will be looking for improved performance after lackluster 2023 seasons following their respective contract extensions. Better play up front and in the secondary should help them this season.
CORNERBACKS (6): DJ Turner, Mike Hilton, Dax Hill, Josh Newton, Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Ivey
Hill makes the transition from safety to outside cornerback, where he'll battle Turner to join Taylor-Britt and Hilton as the starters when the team is in a nickel package. Ivey is the big question since he tore an ACL in December. If the team carries him through the initial 53-person cutdown and then places him on injured reserve, it will open up a spot for a player such as Jalen Davis and also allow Ivey to potentially play later in the season.
SAFTIES (4): Geno Stone, Vonn Bell, Jordan Battle, Daijahn Anthony
Battle is one of the most intriguing players on the roster. A third-round pick in 2023, he appeared in all 17 games last season and made seven starts. In Week 18 against Cleveland's reserves, he had an interception, sack and two pass deflections. While he won't begin the year as a starter, his growth and development will be big for the long-term outlook of Cincinnati's defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS (3): K Evan McPherson, P Brad Robbins, LS Cal Adomitis
Even though the Bengals used a draft pick on Robbins in 2023, he will have to prove he is a better option than Austin McNamara, an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech. Last season, the Bengals had the league's worst opponent starting field position following a punt, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Since Super Bowl LVI at the end of the 2021 season, punting has been one of Cincinnati's biggest areas of concern.