The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t represented well heading into 2019 on a new top-50 player list.
Over at Pro Football Focus, the grading team compiled a list of the best players in the league, which takes into account the following: “We started from the standpoint of a multi-year look at their grading before making adjustments based on situation, injuries where relevant, and new circumstances that could change a player’s future outlook.”
But the Bengals don’t show up at all despite some obvious elite talent such as A.J. Green, Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins on the roster.
It isn’t too surprising given PFF’s metrics, at least. When recapping the top 101 players from the 2018 season, Tyler Boyd made an appearance at No. 63 and Geno Atkins showed up at No. 79.
Unfortunately for those guys, defensive lineman and wideouts pepper the top 50 names and are one of the deeper spots leaguewide. And as for Green, he’d probably appear on a list like that but had another down season last year while he battled injury.
Looking ahead, Atkins, Dunlap, Boyd and Green could all be in contention for lists like these again in future years. If someone such as Carl Lawson, Joe Mixon, William Jackson and Jessie Bates can stay healthy and on their current trajectories, they might, too.
