The Cincinnati Bengals fell just short of their goal with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. However, the season shouldn't be considered a failure because of that. The Bengals not only proved that they belong in the AFC North, but in the AFC as a whole. With a strong young core, the future is bright in Cincinnati. The Bengals will still have some work to do in the offseason, despite their strong showing. In particular, the Bengals will have to try to retain some of their own during the 2022 NFL free agency period. With nine players set to be free agents, the Bengals will have to make some tough decisions. That said, here are the three best players the Bengals must re-sign in 2022 NFL free agency.

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3 Best Players Bengals Must Re-Sign In 2022 NFL Free Agency

3. C.J. Uzomah 

C.J. Uzomah is admittedly, not the first player one thinks of when they think of the Bengals. However, the 29-year-old tight end was an important part of the team's offense this year, as he scored five touchdowns. There are certainly some tight ends available, such as Zach Ertz, who could be more intriguing options than the incumbent Uzomah. However, he has proven to be a solid blocker and is capable enough as a receiver to keep defenses honest when they devote too much attention to talented wideouts Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Besides, keeping Uzomah would potentially allow Cincinnati to spend more money elsewhere, such as on the leaky offensive line.

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2. Larry Ogunjobi

Larry Ogunjobi missed the Bengals' last two playoff games but that shouldn't make people forget what he was able to do this season. The 27-year-old arrived via a one-year, prove-it deal this past offseason following a somewhat underwhelming start to his career with the division-rival Cleveland Browns. Ogunjobi appeared in all 16 games in the regular season, totaling a career-high seven sacks. He was a big part of why the Bengals had an underrated pass rush. Given the way his season ended, Cincinnati might be able to retain Ogunjobi for a smaller deal than they initially thought. They should certainly try to bring him back to what was a solid, yet unheralded defense.

1. B.J. Hill 

B.J. Hill had one of the more impressive seasons of any player on the Bengals defense. Hill earned a 70.4 grade from PFF, which included solid marks against both the run and the pass. The former New York Giant appeared in all 16 games for the fourth straight season, tying career-highs with 5.5 sacks and six tackles for loss while picking up a career-high 50 total tackles. Hill helped the Bengals field the NFL's fifth-ranked run defense, an area where Cincinnati will certainly want to continue to be elite, considering how poor they were as a run defense in past years. Retaining B.J. Hill, who excelled as a run stuffer in 2021, would go a long way towards ensuring that Cincinnati remains strong against opposing ground games.