Best Cincinnati Bengals Players Going Into the 2020 Season

The Bengals are coming off a pretty bad season last year, which led to them landing Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the draft. I don't have high expectations for this team unless Joe Burrow happens to be the next Patrick Mahomes.

Even then, this is a team that has some decent pieces and some players with potential, but there are still a lot of holes on this roster.

The Top Ten

Joe Mixon

Joseph Tyler Mixon (born July 24, 1996) is an American professional football running back who is currently a free agent. Mixon played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2016. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2017... read more

One of the best running backs in the entire division, this guy can be lethal. He's had over 1,000 yards the past few years. Definitely keep your eyes on him. Not exactly the most explosive guy on offense, but he can burn defenses for some smaller gains.
Joe Burrow

Joseph Lee Burrow (born December 10, 1996) is an American professional football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). After three seasons of college football with the Ohio State Buckeyes, he played two seasons for the LSU Tigers, winning the Heisman Trophy and... read more

Surprised he isn't #1? Joe Burrow was an electrifying player at LSU last year, and the Bengals picked him first overall in the draft for a reason. Here's the thing: we haven't seen him play an NFL down yet. Successful quarterbacks in college don't always work out in the NFL. I am pretty optimistic about him being a decent QB, but I can't rank him #1 until we've seen him play.
Carlos Dunlap

Carlos Dunlap II, born February 28, 1989, is a former American professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, and Kansas City Chiefs. Dunlap played college football at the University of Florida, where he won the... read more

He actually had one of his best seasons last year, believe it or not. 63 tackles and 9 sacks, not too shabby. He's a veteran player, but he's proved that he still has it. We'll see if that trend continues or if it's a fluke.
Geno Atkins

He's been a beast for them with 40+ tackles the past few years, as well as 9 sacks in 2 of the last 3 seasons. Although he only had 4.5 sacks last year, he could definitely rebound and still be a force for Cincy. Maybe he could be like Dunlap and have a career season?
Tyler Boyd

Boyd has really developed into an underrated talent. He had arguably his best season last year, and if Burrow develops, he could have a brighter future ahead.
Shawn Williams

To me, he's their best safety. He is arguably one of the best in the entire AFC North, and these last 2 years he's been fairly productive on the field. Definitely had some improvements over his early seasons.
Tee Higgins

Here we have the Bengals' newest offensive weapon, a dangerous threat and raw talent out of Clemson. He has potential to thrive. Made noticeable strides from freshman to junior year and could translate well.
A.J. Green

Adriel Jeremiah Green, born July 31, 1988, and known as A.J. Green, is a former NFL wide receiver who played twelve seasons. He spent ten seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2011 to 2020 and two with the Arizona Cardinals from 2021 to 2022. Selected fourth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Green made... read more

Yeah, he's injured and missed all of the 2019 season, but assuming he comes back, he is still a dangerous weapon. He's a veteran talent that Joe Burrow could develop with. When healthy, Green is dangerous.
John Ross

He had a rough go his rookie season, with almost nothing recorded at all. Then he had a fair sophomore season, and last year he was a little better. This is a guy who could maybe have a breakout 4th year now, with experience under his belt and a young QB with promising upside.
Jessie Bates III

He's arguably still a developing player, but he does show promise as a safety. Had 3 interceptions last year, and with very similar numbers to his rookie season, he could be pretty consistent.