Bengals have a secret weapon in 2022 that everyone is forgetting about
The Cincinnati Bengals should be one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season thanks to an incredible roster that saw multiple improvements this offseason. Cincinnati has one of the best skill position groups in the NFL. And they got better in the trenches this offseason by signing three quality offensive linemen […]
The Cincinnati Bengals should be one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season thanks to an incredible roster that saw multiple improvements this offseason.
Cincinnati has one of the best skill position groups in the NFL. And they got better in the trenches this offseason by signing three quality offensive linemen (quarterback Joe Burrow took a beating last season, but that shouldn't be the case in 2022).
Not only did the Bengals get better in the trenches on the offensive side of the ball, but they also got better on the defensive side of the ball. That's partially thanks to a "secret weapon" that was already on Cincinnati's roster.
CBS Sports recently pointed out Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai as a second-year player who was injured as a rookie that could take a massive step forward in 2022.
Ossai exudes explosiveness. He's incredibly fast off the snap, and wraps the corner like a Ferrari around the bend. His 41.5-inch vertical and 10-11 broad jump at the combine last year quantified what was apparent on film. In his only game of the 2021 preseason, the former Texas star was dominant. Unblockable. He registered seven pressures on 23 pass-rushing snaps.
The nearly 6-4, 255-ish pounder won't be asked to be the alpha rusher in Cincinnati either. Opponents will gameplan to limit Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard on the outside of the Bengals defensive line. At first, the low amount of snaps will cap his impact. After the Bengals see how efficiently Ossai is pressuring the quarterback, the coaching staff will get more rotational at the edge-rusher position. His acceleration is that special, and Ossai understands how to utilize his hands as a rusher too.
Ossai was selected by the Bengals in the third round (No. 69 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The former Texas Longhorns standout suffered a knee injury during the preseason last year and missed his entire rookie season.
If the Bengals have a dominant pass rush in 2022 to go along with their high-powered offense, it could be lights out for the rest of the AFC North.
Ossai's emergence could truly put Cincinnati's defense over the top. There's no doubt he has elite explosiveness. If he can prove that last year's injury was a fluke, and stay healthy for most of the season, the Bengals could have another star player on their hands.
Featured image via Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
