Cincinnati Bengals players have been showing up big in rankings this week.
Ja’Marr Chase recently showed up high in rankings, as did offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and even guard Alex Cappa.
Now it’s apparently time for DJ Reader and B.J. Hill from the defensive interior to get similar treatment.
Reader just ranked as the ninth-best interior defender in the NFL, courtesy of Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness:
Reader plays a vital role in Lou Anarumo’s defense, highlighted by his 85.2 PFF grade in 2022. As a run defender, he has earned grades of 69.0 or better since 2017. He produced a career-high 84.1 PFF pass-rush grade in 2022, registering 32 pressures from 310 pass-rushing snaps.
Reader has long been underrated when compared to his overall major impact and that logic also applies to Hill — the guy who came over in that now very successful Billy Price trade.
The rankings slotted Hill 30th and wrote this notable nugget: “Through five seasons in the league, he has never finished with a PFF run-defense grade lower than 65.0. He is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he set a career high with 45 total pressures from 615 pass-rushing snaps.”
The Bengals have created a very good one-two punch on the interior that enables the rest of the scheme to work as it does, so for fans, it has to be nice to see rankings reflect that.
