Bengals Camp Wars: Who Locks Down Starting Spots at CB, LB & O-Line?

Welcome to Bengals Camp!

Imagine the Cincinnati Bengals are similar a hoops squad getting acceptable for a caller season. The starters (the champion players) are mostly picked, but determination are inactive open spots connected the bench—and those spots substance a lot! This year, the squad isn’t searching for starters similar they did past year. Instead, they’re figuring retired who backs them up and who steps up if idiosyncratic gets hurt.

Here’s your easy-to-read usher to the 3 biggest competitions happening implicit the adjacent six weeks.

The Most Important Battle: Cornerback

IMPORTANT POINT: The coaches accidental this is the #1 presumption battle successful camp. The winners volition play 1,000–1,500 antiaircraft snaps this season—that’s a LOT of playing time!

Who’s Already Safe? (The "Locked In" Starters)

• DJ Turner II – Starting extracurricular cornerback
• Dax Hill – Starting extracurricular cornerback (coach says he’s staying outside)
• Jalen Davis – "Incumbent" starter astatine nickel (slot) cornerback

The "Battle Royale" for the Rest of the Spots

Everyone beneath is warring for: the nickel spot (if Davis slips) + 2 backup spots.

What the Bosses Say

• Duke Tobin (GM): "We got a batch of guys with versatility that tin play inside, outside… not going to pigeonhole anybody."
• Al Golden (Defensive Coordinator): "If you privation much roles, maestro your existent one. That’s what DJ Ivey did."
• Zac Taylor (Head Coach): Confirmed Hill stays outside—so nary moving him wrong to hole depth.

Outlook

Total toss-up. Any operation of these names could marque the last 53-man roster. Ivey, Jalen Davis, and Tacario Davis person flimsy edges, but it’s genuinely "best antheral wins."

The "Prove It" Battle: Linebacker

IMPORTANT POINT: This isn’t truly a contention between players—it’s the 2 starters competing against their ain 2025 struggles.

The Starters (But On Thin Ice)

• Demetrius Knight Jr. – Started arsenic rookie, struggled early, improved late
• Barrett Carter – Same story: unsmooth start, amended finish

The Backups (Fighting for Roster Spots + Special Teams)

• Oren Burks – 31-year-old veteran
• Joe Giles-Harris – 29-year-old journeyman
• Shaka Heyward – 26-year-old erstwhile undrafted escaped agent, 48 vocation snaps

What’s At Stake?

The full defense’s stability. If Knight and Carter look similar "lost rookies" again, the Bengals person no seasoned backup plan and mightiness person to commercialized for assistance mid-season.

What the Coaches Say

• Duke Tobin: "We judge successful the group… they are the established vet now. You person to make guys within."
• Darrin Simmons (Special Teams Coach): "I consciousness truly bully astir the backups… that is the beardown suit of our halfway peculiar teams unit."

Outlook

Roles consciousness set, but the pressure is massive connected Knight and Carter. Camp volition amusement if they’ve genuinely leveled up—or if the Bengals made a risky bet.

The "Insurance Policy" Battle: Offensive Line Depth

IMPORTANT POINT: The starting 5 are each backmost together for the archetypal clip since Joe Burrow arrived! But… some starting tackles person wounded histories.

The Starters (Set successful Stone)

• Left Tackle: Amarius Mims
• Right Tackle: Orlando Brown Jr.
• Interior: Solid, with Jalen Rivers + 2 caller draught picks for depth

The Battle: Swing Tackle (Backup for BOTH tackle spots)

Why This Matters

Protecting Joe Burrow. The Bengals propulsion a LOT. If Mims oregon Brown goes down, the backup tackle plays immediately successful a pass-heavy offense. That’s scary if the backup isn’t ready.

What the Coaches Say

• Duke Tobin: Pushed backmost connected "depth is an issue" narrative—says helium likes the competition.
• Dan Pitcher (Offensive Coordinator): "We’ll person a batch amended reply successful a month… batch of accidental for guys to amusement what they tin do."

Outlook

Ford astir apt wins—he has the acquisition and did it before. But if helium struggles similar past camp, Parker mightiness cross-train backmost to tackle, oregon it becomes a existent free-for-all.

Quick Summary: What to Watch For

FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered

1. Why is cornerback specified a large woody if the starters are set?

Because NFL defenses usage 3+ cornerbacks connected 60–70% of snaps. The "nickel" country and backups play almost arsenic overmuch arsenic starters. Last year, the Bengals didn’t person bully answers here—and it showed.

2. What does "UDFA" mean?

Undrafted Free Agent—a subordinate who wasn’t picked successful the NFL Draft but signed a declaration anyway. They’re agelong shots, but galore go stars (like erstwhile Bengal Mike Hilton).

3. Can a information truly play cornerback?

Yes! Kyle Dugger is listed arsenic a information but has the speed/skills to screen receivers. "Versatility" is simply a magic connection for coaches—it means 1 subordinate fills 2 roster spots.

4. Why didn’t the Bengals motion a seasoned linebacker?

They chose to walk money/draft picks elsewhere, betting that Knight and Carter’s Year 2 jump would beryllium huge. It’s a calculated risk—if it fails, they’ll scramble for trades later.

5. When volition we cognize who wins these battles?

• First clues: First week of padded practices (early August)
• Real evidence: Preseason games (mid-August)
• Final verdict: Roster chopped day (usually precocious August/early September)

Final Thought

This Bengals squad is built differently than the past 2 years. The stars are successful place—now it’s astir depth, development, and durability. The cornerback country is simply a existent mystery, the linebackers person thing to prove, and the violative enactment needs a reliable plaything tackle.

Grab your coffee, ticker the signifier reports, and bask the ride—Bengals shot is back!

Source: Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic (July 2026)