Five Cincinnati Bengals Position Battles to Watch Ahead of Training Camp

Training camp is less than a week away, and the Cincinnati Bengals will be looking for players to fill a handful of vital positions. Here are the top five position battles to watch as training camp begins with rookies reporting Saturday.

Strong safety

The safety position is one that could the biggest weakness of the defense, and it remains as the Bengals' biggest roster concern heading into training camp. 

Bryan Cook was instantly slotted in as the No. 1 safety upon his arrival, but who his counterpart will be is still up in the air. Jordan Battle did not have a great season as a starter last year, and with the Bengals signing Kyle Dugger to a one-year deal this offseason, the question is whether Dugger can carve out a starting role for himself or if Battle will hold onto his spot from last season.

Defensive end

The defensive end battle will be a fascinating one to watch. The Bengals added Boye Mafe this offseason, and he should be the first option on the edge this season, but the rest of the rotation will all be vying for snaps.

The Bengals drafted an edge rusher in each of the last two drafts, selecting Shemar Stewart in 2025 and Cashius Howell in 2026. Along with Myles Murphy, there's no telling who will emerge as the starter on the other side of the defensive line among those three.

Nickelback

The slot corner position looks straightforward on paper, but it could be the position battle that continues deep into the season.

Jalen Davis is the easy answer for who will be the starter. He brings experience after spending six seasons with the Bengals and finished the 2025 season strong after being activated from the practice squad. But Ja'Sir Taylor and Bralyn Lux will also be fighting for playing time at nickelback.

Taylor offers four years of experience with about a dozen career starts and will likely be the wildcard in the room, while Lux brings high upside on a one-year reserve/future contract.

Look for all three players to see significant playing time during the opening stages of the season until one separates himself from the rest.

Wide receiver No. 3

Andrei Iosivas enters training camp as the incumbent, but he took a step back in 2025 after emerging as the clear No. 3 option the year before. He was criticized for his high drop rate, but improvement in that area should make him the favorite to keep the job.

Colbie Young and Charlie Jones are names to watch. Young brings high upside and has the potential to be a true threat as a rookie, while Jones is more of a special teams player but will be pushing for more offensive snaps throughout camp.

Tight end

The tight end room is the position on this list with the most players involved in the battle. Mike Gesicki should be penciled in at the top of the depth chart, but Drew Sample and Tanner Hudson both saw at least 20 targets in 2025.

The biggest threat to Gesicki, however, is Erick All Jr., who could prove to be the breakout star of the Bengals' 2026 season. He appears to be fully healthy after an ACL injury sidelined him during his rookie season, and he has the highest upside of any tight end on the roster.

Another name that could pop up more and more throughout training camp is rookie Jack Endries, who enters as the most intriguing player in the room and a potential steal of the draft.