Cincinnati is trying to bounce back from two straight seasons missing the playoffs and can’t afford yet another slow start. Under Taylor, the Bengals have won just one season-opener – to kick off the Super Bowl run in 2021 – and are just 4-13-1 over the first three weeks, including the 0-3 start last year.
Here are five things to watch heading into the start of camp:
1. What will Dax Hill look like post-ACL surgery?
The 2022 first-round draft pick struggled to find his place in this team his first two seasons, then had to learn a completely new position last year; however, he embraced the opportunity and was looking like the Bengals’ best cornerback before his Week 5 ACL tear. Now he is hoping to pick up where he left off, and Cincinnati really needs that to be the case.
Coming back from an ACL tear isn’t easy, but the Bengals didn’t sign any new defensive backs this offseason and seem to be counting on Hill being ready to go, D.J. Turner being able to find consistency in Year 3 and Cam Taylor-Britt’s regression last year being a fluke.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
There’s a hole to fill at nickel corner, as Mike Hilton remains an unsigned free agent, but it doesn’t appear in the plans to move Hill yet again, despite the fact he played that role in college. Josh Newton was getting a lot of the first-team snaps there this offseason.
2. Who wins the offensive guard jobs?
Rookie fourth-round pick Dylan Fairchild seems to be penciled into the starting right guard role, next to former Georgia teammate Amarius Mims, but the left guard job is up for grabs in a competition that includes former starter Cordell Volson, veteran newcomer Lucas Patrick and versatile returnee Cody Ford.
Ford and Patrick split the first-team snaps this offseason, but the Bengals need someone to set himself apart in training camp.
Although Fairchild has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches, he still also has to prove himself at the NFL level. The Bengals are counting on better interior line play to help protect Joe Burrow. It was the only big weakness in the offense last year.
3. Can Jermaine Burton turn it around?
Burton was locked in during offseason workouts, making an effort to show up on time, learn the playbook and be ready to compete this summer, but the question remains whether he can be counted on week in and week out when it matters most.
Last year, Burton squandered opportunities to really make an impact and earn significant playing time, as the Bengals were still figuring out how to replace departed slot receiver Tyler Boyd’s production. Andrei Iosivas stepped up in 2024 and is looking for an even greater role this year, but Cincinnati still needs Burton to live up to expectations.
The 2024 third-round draft pick would be another useful weapon for Burrow if he proves reliable. He helps stretch the field and is another playmaker when he’s on track.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
4. Who is there on the defensive line?
As of July 18, rookie Shemar Stewart still remained unsigned and Trey Hendrickson had no new deal. Those are two key pieces on the defensive line, and the group missed an opportunity to develop chemistry and get ahead with both not participating during the offseason workout program.
Even if both players are on board for the start of camp, the defensive line has its work cut out for it. The pass rush was almost non-existent beyond Hendrickson last year, and returning players like Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample and especially 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy have to step up the pressure in 2025.
Al Golden seems to have a plan to use versatility of some of the edge rushers to help create more interior push as well, but that’s another piece to the puzzle that needs solved this summer.
5. Can two rookie linebackers step up?
Rookie linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter will play significant snaps this season, and the Bengals are counting on them solving some of the issues in the middle of the defense that impacted the overall performance in 2024.
With Germaine Pratt gone, Knight is expected to step in as a starter, and he already showed himself to be a leader this offseason, as a more mature rookie coming in at the age of 25. He also was unsigned as of July 18, but he at least signed a waiver in the offseason to practice and get a head start. Knight won’t be able to do that now with training camp but hopefully that gets resolved before it matters.
Carter, a fourth-round pick out of Clemson, is a versatile linebacker who also could see some starts and significant snaps in different packages.
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