Ranking the Top 5 Position Battles To Watch at Cincinnati Bengals Training Camp

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals made no attempt to sign four starters from the 2023 team, letting defensive tackle DJ Reader, wide receiver Tyler Boyd, and right tackle Jonah Williams walk in free agency and trading running back Joe Mixon.

They found a ready-made replacement for Reader in Sheldon Rankins, but the other three starting jobs will be decided when training camp opens July 24.

There also are some incumbents who will be fighting to hold on to their spots, and a newcomer vs. newcomer battle on the offensive line.

Top Bengals Position Battles in Training Camp

There’s plenty yet to be settled for the team lines up to face the New England Patriots on Sept. 8.

Let’s look at the five most interesting camp battles expected to be waged this summer:

Dax Hill vs DJ Turner II

This may or may not be the tightest competition, but it should be the most consequential.

The Bengals are desperate to fix the communication errors that riddled the secondary last year, and part of it starts with finding the best cornerback to play opposite Cam Taylor-Britt on the outside.

Turner, a 2023 second-round pick, got his shot last year as Chidobe Awuzie was working his way back from his ACL injury. Hill, the 2022 first-round pick, is making the switch from safety.

Both players took turns running with the first team during OTAs and minicamp, and that should continue early in camp until one of them establishes himself as the starter.

Zack Moss vs Chase Brown

All expectations are that both running backs are going to be on the field a lot and get plenty of touches both in terms of carries and receptions.

How even the split will be is the biggest question.

Will it be a game-by-game, hot-hand type of workload? Or will the Bengals lean more into the veteran Moss while using the Brown — who showcased the type of explosion last year they’ve been desperate for, albeit in a small sample size — as a change-of-pace back?

Aside from the split, it will be interesting to see how many plays in the playbook Zac Taylor and Dan Pitcher will be comfortable calling regardless of which back is in the game. Or will there be specific plays earmarked for one or the other?

Amarius Mims vs. Trent Brown

Mims’ lack of experience at Georgia didn’t prohibit the Bengals from taking him with the 18th pick in the draft. Will it give them pause when it comes to naming a starting right tackle?

The front office signed Trent Brown to a one-year deal in March with the intent of starting him at right tackle and having Mims essentially redshirt as a rookie. But Brown not only missed most of the voluntary portion of the offseason, he’s not nearly as athletic as Mims.

MORE: Bengals OT Trent Brown Heaps Praise on Rookie Amarius Mims

If the raw talent and athleticism are enough to offset some growing pains, Mims could challenge Brown for the starting spot.

It’s probably Brown’s job to lose more than Mims’ to win, but Brown is 31 with an injury history, so this one could be more wide-open than expected.

Jermaine Burton vs. Andrei Iosivas

While the Bengals opened in a three-receiver set only three times in Jake Browning’s seven starts, they did so in all 10 of Joe Burrow’s starts.

And with Burrow expected to be healthy for the start of the season, you can expect the Bengals to roll out three starting receivers on a regular basis.

And even beyond who gets more starts between the rookie Burton and second-year player Iosivas will be who gets more snaps as the biggest benefactor from Tyler Boyd’s departure in free agency.

FREE: Subscribe to PFN’s NFL Newsletter

Iosivas came in raw as a sixth-round pick out of the Ivy League, but he played well in limited action last year. Burton has first-round talent and could be one of the steals of the draft.

Tight end Mike Gesicki will throw a wrinkle into the competition with how much he operates as a third receiver lining up in the slot, but watching Burton and Iosivas should be one of the more entertaining battles in camp.

Brad Robbins vs. Austin McNamara

After going more than a decade without a punting competition in training camp, it’s become an annual event. First, Kevin Huber beat out Drue Chisman by default when Chrisman broke his hand ahead of camp in 2021.

Huber beat out Chrisman again in 2022, but Chrisman wrestled the job away midseason.

Last year, the team drafted Robbins, and he beat out Chrisman but struggled throughout his rookie season.

McNamara enters as an undrafted rookie with a 50-50 shot of stealing Robbins’ job.

MORE: Brad Robbins Welcomes Bengals’ UDFA Punter: ‘I Thrive in Competition’

Distance, hang time, directional punts and holding abilities are expected to be an ongoing battle all the way through camp, and the difference could be their performances in the preseason games.