A new season brings about changes for every NFL team. With the NFL draft, teams are able to acquire young new talent to shore up their offense. Most rookies end up starting pretty low on the depth chart, simply due to their lack of experience. A select few, though, end up taking over the starting gig. The Cincinnati Bengals are looking at their new draft class and thinking which of these guys will play a big role in 2024.
The Bengals drafted eight rookies and signed 16 more for a total of 24 rookies. Some of these guys will be buried in the depth chart. Some might get cut. However, a few players are in prime position to challenge for starting roles. Let's look at which veterans on the Bengals are going to be tested by the rookies below them.
Sheldon Rankins, DT
DJ Reader's sudden departure was a gut punch to the Bengals. Reader has quietly been the most consistent player on the defense not named Trey Hendrickson. Reader's run-stopping and big presence in the interior gave the defense so much breathing room last season.
Cincinnati immediately moved to find a veteran replacement at the position. Prior to the draft, the team signed former Houston Texans tackle Sheldon Rankins as their presumptive starting nose tackle. Come draft day, though, the Bengals saw an opportunity to draft another defensive tackle in rookie Kris Jenkins in the second round.
The depth chart currently lists Rankins as the starting DT alongside BJ Hill. However, Jenkins is in prime position to take over in the middle of the season. His run-stopping abilities will come in clutch in a division that features a lot of great runners like Derrick Henry. The Bengals are hoping for Jenkins to be the starter at some point.
Trent Brown, OT
Trent Brown is in a similar boat to Sheldon Rankins. Brown was a pre-draft signing of the Bengals, meant to fill the hole left by Jonah Williams. However, Cincinnati has long wanted a top-tier tackle to protect Joe Burrow. They passed on Penei Sewell in 2021 to draft Ja'Marr Chase. While Chase has truly been elite and more, the Bengals' glaring hole at OT have persisted.
So when the opportunity to draft a first-round offensive tackle came to them, the Bengals took the opportunity. Amarius Mims is a physical freak of nature, a man amongst men. His physical profile screams first-round talent, and he's got the talent to do just that. There are questions about his experience and injury history, but the potential was simply too good to pass up.
Mims took most of the first-team reps in the mini-camp the Bengals held, but that was mostly due to Brown's absence. This will surely be an interesting battle, and Brown's spot on the starting lineup is not guaranteed by any means.
Trenton Irwin, WR
Out of all the Bengals veterans on this list, Irwin's spot feels like it's the most secure. The Bengals wide receiver has quietly been a solid wide receiver in the last few years. Irwin saw more starts in the last few years with injuries to the Bengals' big three at wide receiver. In those spot starts, Irwin excelled.
So why is Irwin listed on here? Well, it's because there's a former Bulldog on the team that could be a threat for Joe Burrow. Jermaine Burton was drafted in the third round in 2024, and he brings an interesting toolkit to the table. He is a vertical threat that also possesses yards-after-catch potential. That is extremely valuable in any offense.
Irwin should comfortably be the Bengals' WR3 after the departure of Tyler Boyd. However, the wide receiver should not feel too complacent about that. Burton is lurking, and that's not even mentioning sophomore Andrei Iosivas.
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