The Cincinnati Bengals surprised everyone last season when they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. They were easily the feel-good story of the year, even when they lost to the Rams. However, this season, the team now has a huge target painted at their backs.
Last season, everyone simply shrugged off the Bengals on their calendars. Now, though, you can bet that every team will be preparing seriously for them in the regular season. Every piece of their team will be dissected, analyzed, and exploited whenever possible.
With that in mind, which position will make the biggest impact for the Bengals in the 2022 NFL season? The answer seems obvious… or is it?
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Key Bengals position group to make biggest impact in 2022 NFL season
Wide Receiver
The hipster pick here for the Bengals would be to select a different position group other than wide receiver. There’s a good argument that can be made that Cincy’s defensive backs will make or break their season. You can also obviously go with the newly-formed offensive line, and whether they can protect Joe Burrow better. Sometimes, though, the obvious pick is the best pick, and that’s certainly the case with this group.
Cincinnati arguably has the best wide receiver corps in the entire NFL, and for good reason. Their top three receivers are all good WR1 candidates on any other team. With Burrow directing traffic, the three-headed dragon of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd feasted upon opposing defenses.
Ja’Marr Chase is the least tenured of the three, yet he’s already cemented himself as the alpha of the wide receiver room. The Bengals star wide receiver lit up the league last year as a rookie, going for over 1,400 yards and X touchdowns. His connection with Joe Burrow looked ungodly at times, as the LSU duo went crazy over the course of the season.
Lost in the insanity of Chase’s rookie season, though, was the emergence of their two other receivers. After a solid rookie season, Tee Higgins took on the role of WR2 in 2022, and he looked amazing on the field. Higgins' size and length provided a nice complement to Chase's speed on the field.
And then, there's Tyler Boyd. Put him in any other team, and he's very likely going to be the top receiver in that team. Cincinnati's uber-stacked wide receiver position pegs him as the WR3, though, which is insane to think about. The veteran wideout has been a beast in the slot for Burrow, serving as a deadly backup option when his two mates are covered tightly.
Together, these three wide receivers make opposing defenses pull their hair out in frustration. When facing the Bengals, defenses have to worry about three Grade-A receivers getting the ball from one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. It's a pick your poison type of deal when it comes to these three guys: do you want to get burned on a go route by Chase? Or would you rather try your luck at challenging Higgins in a catch-off?
Cincinnati's success next season hinges squarely on the offense maintaining it's fiery form from last season. The wide receivers opened up many opportunity for their run game, too. With a brand-new offensive line, the Bengals' receivers are going to get a lot more open looks on offense. Can they handle the pressure of being game-planned heavily night in and night out?
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