CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals open the 2024 NFL regular season against the New England Patriots on Sept. 8 at Paycor Stadium.
After a tough first season as a starter, cornerback Dax Hill has done well at a new position and battled through training camp to earn his spot with the first-team group. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's group performed well throughout training camp and appears ready for a bounce-back season with as many as four new starters after a rocky 2023.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection for the Bengals.
QUARTERBACKS (2): Joe Burrow, Jake Browning
Browning, the backup, has been out for over a week with a minor rib injury. He could play if the Bengals needed him to, but the most important thing is for him to rest and be fully healthy for the start of the season. Logan Woodside is tentatively slotted to land on the practice squad.
RUNNING BACKS (3): Zack Moss, Chase Brown, Trayveon Williams
Chris Evans going down with a season-ending patella tendon injury makes the math pretty simple. Moss and Brown should get the bulk of the carries while Williams' primary role will be on special teams, where he has proved to be a very capable kickoff returner.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Jermaine Burton, Charlie Jones
The main intrigue with this group revolves around who will get the bulk of the team's reps at slot receiver. It's something that could continue to fluctuate through the season, especially as Chase works into the rotation and plays as both an inside and outside receiver.
TIGHT ENDS (4): Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, Erick All Jr., Tanner Hudson
The back end of this room will be intriguing. Tanner McLachlan, a sixth-round pick, has received run in the fourth quarters of the preseason games, but five tight ends might be hard to justify given how often the Bengals use only one tight end in offensive formations.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9): Orlando Brown Jr., Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, Amarius Mims, Trent Brown, Jaxson Kirkland, Cody Ford, Matt Lee
Kirkland and Lee had really good preseasons and impressed throughout camp. Kirkland gives the Bengals another depth option at offensive tackle, and Lee has done enough to earn the backup center job.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (10): Trey Hendrickson, Sheldon Rankins, B.J. Hill, Sam Hubbard, Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai, Kris Jenkins Jr., Zach Carter, Cedric Johnson, McKinnley Jackson
This defensive line has the potential to be much improved from last season. Hubbard is inching closer to full strength after dealing with a hyperextended left knee, and Jackson, a third-round pick, could give the interior depth early in the season after suffering a sprained knee during training camp.
LINEBACKERS (5): Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson, Joe Bachie, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Maema Njongmeta
Arguably no Cincinnati player had a better preseason than Njongmeta, an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin. He had a team-high 17 tackles through the first two exhibition games and was credited for five stuffs in the run game, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He gives the group depth behind Pratt and Wilson, the established starters.
CORNERBACKS (6): Cam Taylor-Britt, Mike Hilton, Dax Hill, DJ Turner, Josh Newton, Jalen Davis
This group provided the best battle for a starting job. Hill seems positioned to be the starter opposite Taylor-Britt, which is a testament to the resolve he showed after a tough battle with Turner and a rough go as the team's starting free safety last season. DJ Ivey is on the physically unable to perform list after suffering a torn left ACL in Week 15 of last season.
SAFETIES (5): Geno Stone, Vonn Bell, Jordan Battle, Daijahn Anthony, Tycen Anderson
Anthony quietly had a very strong camp and could be used in special packages along with Stone and Bell, who will be the starters for a unit that has been much improved. Battle's growth throughout the season will also be something to monitor after a few flashes in his rookie season.
SPECIALISTS (3): K Evan McPherson, P Ryan Rehkow, LS Cal Adomitis
McPherson is fresh off a three-year extension and has been steady for the Bengals. Rehkow, an undrafted rookie out of BYU, is the only healthy punting option as Brad Robbins, who was battling Rekhow, injured a hip flexor toward the end of training camp.