The NFL roster cut deadline is less than a week away and the Bengals will have many difficult decisions to make in order reduce the number of players on its roster. Mitchell Tinsley, Eric Gregory, and Howard Cross have all performed well to boost their shot of making the roster. With that being said here’s my Cincinnati Bengals 53-Man Roster Prediction:
Quarterbacks (2)
- Joe Burrow
- Jake Browning
This was easy. Joe Burrow is obviously the starter and while some could debate that Desmond Ridder could be the man behind Burrow, after seeing Browning’s performance against the Commanders recently, it’s hard not to put him up there. Not to mention that he almost led the Bengals to the post season when Burrow went down with an injury a couple seasons ago.
Running Backs (3)
- Chase Brown
- Tahj Brooks
- Samaje Perine
Brown has received high praise this offseason, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher says he’s going to be a ‘focal point’ in the Bengals offense. Rookie Tahj Brooks has had a solid preseason and we all love having Perine back.
Wide Receivers (6)
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Tee Higgins
- Andrei Iosivas
- Charlie Jones
- Jermaine Burton
- Mitchell Tinsley
Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Andre Iosivas start at receiver this season. The guys behind them are really solid players as well. Charlie Jones recorded a touchdown in Monday night’s game, hopefully he can stay healthy. Jermaine Burton’s maturity issues are sketchy but if he can limit that, he’ll definitely be a threat. And last but definitely not least is Mitchell Tinsley. Let’s say, he definitely earned a roster spot after Monday night’s performance.
Tight Ends (4)
- Mike Gesicki
- Noah Fant
- Tanner Hudson
- Drew Sample
Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant will likely split reps between each other. So that leaves Tanner Hudson and Drew Sample as the backups. If I were the Bengals general manager I would limit the tight end position to three so I could add extra help to the defense. But I’m not the general manager and I know the Bengals like Sample a lot so I had to list him in here.
Offensive Lineman (10)
- Orlando Brown Jr.
- Dylan Fairchild
- Ted Karras
- Lucas Patrick (Dalton Risner lands here if he signs.)
- Amarius Mims
- Cordell Volson
- Matt Lee
- Cody Ford
- Jalen Rivers
- Seth McLaughlin
The first five mentioned are the starters I really hope Risner signs because right guard is looking like a real problem. Jalen Rivers showed promise when he came in and replaced Patrick in their last preseason game. Dylan Fairchild is looking like the real deal.
Defensive Lineman (10)
- Trey Hendrickson
- B.J. Hill
- T.J. Slaton
- Shemar Stewart
- Joseph Ossai
- Kris Jenkins Jr.
- Cam Sample
- Myles Murphy
- McKinnley Jackson Jr.
- Cedric Johnson
We all hope Hendrickson gets a deal done with Cincinnati. Shemar Stewart has shown us a glimpse of what he could become but I want to see more from him. If Shemar Stewart becomes a great player and the Bengals sign Hendrickson, we could have one of the best pass rushing tandems in the NFL. Joseph Ossai had a career year last year so hopefully he’ll take another big step. As for Myles Murphy the time is ticking I want to see a productive year from the former first round pick.
Linebackers (5)
- Logan Wilson
- Oren Burks
- Barrett Carter
- Demetrius Knight Jr.
- Maema Njongmeta
I really like what I’ve seen from Barrett Carter and I would heavily consider starting him alongside Logan Wilson. But normally it seems the Bengals prefer the veteran over the rookie and there’s nothing against Oren Burks, I think he’s done great in the preseason. It was a tough decision between Maema Njongmeta and Shaka Heyward. I really like Heyward but I think Cincinnati likes Njongmeta more than they like Heyward. So, he gets the nod.
Cornerbacks (6)
- Cam Taylor-Britt
- D.J. Turner
- Dax Hill
- Josh Newton
- D.J. Ivey
- Marco Wilson
The cornerback room is weak Cam Taylor-Britt needs a better season than last year and I really want to see D.J. Turner play a lot better as well. Hopefully the switch from safety to corner helps Dax Hill because he’s definitely on the hot seat. Josh Newton performed well at the end of last year and hopefully he can build off that and carry it on to this season. Overall this room is very weak but with a lot of potential.
Safety’s (4)
- Geno Stone
- Jordan Battle
- Tycen Anderson
- Daijahn Anthony
This is another weaker position group, in fact this position is probably weaker than corner. Jordan Battle has not looked good this preseason, missing an easy tackle to prevent Jayden Daniels from scoring a rushing touchdown is not a good look. I would heavily consider starting Tycen Anderson, who I think can be a good player for the Bengals.
This should’ve ended with a huge hit by Jordan Battle. Instead it’s a TD for Jayden Daniels.
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) August 19, 2025
Describe the Bengals’ defense in one word. I’ll start: YIKES😬 pic.twitter.com/h7TSv5R0v5
Special Teams (3)
- Evan McPherson
- Ryan Rehkow
- Cal Adomitis
McPherson and Rehkow are locks to be the starting kicker and punter. Adomitis is in a position battle with William Wagner for the starting long snapper. But I think Adomitis wins the job.
What do you think? Where was I right or wrong? Sound off in the comments!