The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have many players flying under the proverbial radar.
That’s what happens when a roster contends, gets national hype, and doesn’t have much in the way of turnover on an annual basis.
Still, when one thinks of underrated players to know, one thinks of the running back rotation, an efficient pass-rusher like Joseph Ossai, or even a rookie defender such as cornerback Josh Newton.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, though, went a different direction and found a name to focus on at wideout:
Nonstarter to know: Receiver Trenton Irwin. It’s hard to tell who’s going to be the third receiver behind Chase and Higgins, but Irwin actually scored higher than Higgins in ESPN’s receiver tracking metrics last season and had a receiving DVOA of 20.8%, which ranked 10th among receivers with 10-49 pass targets.
And it’s a good name, too. Irwin just played a career-high 429 snaps last year and was indeed efficient and reliable.
The wrinkle for Iwin within the base offense is how much he can actually see the field with Tyler Boyd gone. New tight end Mike Gesicki gets a lot of work from the slot as a third “receiver” and the running backs can work from there if necessary, too.
Then there’s breakout candidate and rookie Jermaine Burton, who might be impossible to hold off the field as the season continues.
But even if Irwin can’t get in the offense much, he’s been able to help in meaningful ways through special teams, too, and that certainly won’t change in 2024.
