Cincinnati Bengals Final Rookie Report Card..
The Cincinnati Bengals Rookie Class Was Counted On Heavily In 2023. Let’s Issue A Final Report Card From The Team’s Most Recent Draft.
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Now that the Cincinnati Bengals season is over with a 9-8 record, they have some very important decisions to make this offseason. Injuries forced the team to start several rookies at significant positions in 2023. The results were a mixed bag as some have played at a higher level than others as the season progressed. Let’s see how the Bengals recent draft class has faired since our initial report card was issued in November.
The Bengals first overall pick in their 2023 draft class played in all 17 games and came on strong late in the season. Murphy gained valuable experience and reps in his freshman act as he ended the year with three sacks and 10 solo tackles. The bend and quickness off the edge that he was consistently showing is a good sign for 2024.
Turner started hot in his first season in stripes but fizzled out late in the year. The ball tracking and recovery skills that were evident early, were significantly lacking in the last quarter of 2023. Look for Turner to rebound nicely next season as he will likely be a starting outside cornerback for this Bengals team.
Turner started hot in his first season in stripes but fizzled out late in the year. The ball tracking and recovery skills that were evident early, were significantly lacking in the last quarter of 2023. Look for Turner to rebound nicely next season as he will likely be a starting outside cornerback for this Bengals team.
Battle is a very instinctive and physical player at the line of scrimmage. He would end his rookie campaign with 34 solo tackles, two sacks, and one interception. He is the future of the backend for Cincinnati along with second-year player Dax Hill.
Jones was slightly demoted from our initial grade due to his limitations in the passing game in 2023. He was average as a punt returner with one touchdown but offered very little as a wide receiver this season. He should have a much bigger role for the Bengals in 2024 and could be the replacement in the slot if Tyler Boyd departs in free agency.
Another late bloomer in the Bengals rookie class was running back Chase Brown. In the second half of the season, Brown saw a more even distribution of snaps with veteran Joe Mixon. The duo made a solid one-two punch with Mixon being the power back and Brown bringing the speed and finesse. The aspect of Brown’s game that the Bengals can lean on next season is his explosiveness in the screen game. Brown played in 12 games and would finish with 44 carries for 179 yards for an average of 4.07.
The Bengals may have found something in former Princeton Tiger Andrei Iosivas. When Joe Burrow was healthy, Iosivas just seemed to have a knack for finding the end zone and was also excelling with off-script plays when Burrow would break the pocket. This trend continued with Jake Browning as the quarterback, and the route running for Iosivas seemed to improve with the more reps he received in Tee Higgins’s absence. Burrow should be able to unlock even more productivity next season for Iosivas.