As training camp nears for the Cincinnati Bengals, we're going to take a look at the most intriguing positional battles all over the roster. Whether they're at the top or near the bottom of the depth chart, jobs will be on the line starting this month.

Getting faster at wide receiver became a definite need following the Bengals' last game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ancillary weapons that can't create separation isn't going to cut it when depth is tested in the biggest moments. 

The NFL Draft was where the Bengals looked for these speedy answers. They arrived at two in hopes to fill out the wide receiver room properly. Those rookies will get fair shots to advance past a few veterans on the depth chart.

Bengals Backup WR Competitors

Trenton Irwin

His climb from nothing to first receiver off the bench behind the NFL’s best starting trio is nothing short of inspiring. Irwin can line up in the slot or on the boundary and his hands remain equally reliable. He has dropped just one of his 33 career targets in Cincinnati, and Joe Burrow hasn’t been feeding him easy passes. Irwin has made a habit out of snagging contested balls, even back-shoulder sideline throws.

It would take a fantastic preseason from one of his teammates to bump Irwin out of WR4. He's too proven compared to the rest.

Charlie Jones

If you have the nickname “Chuck Sizzle,” it’s only assumed you’re electric on the field. Jones is a bit undersized for NFL standards, but his play wouldn’t indicate it. He can highpoint passes with quality body control and timely hands that rarely fail. 

Where you'll see Jones the most is over the middle. In his lone and dominant year at Purdue, Jones caught 22 of his 42 contested targets and dropped just three of his 154 targets all season. In the intermediate range (10-19 yards downfield), Jones caught 10 of his 14 contested targets and graded out at 95.9 in that area of the field.

That skillset will translate seamlessly with Burrow, and might give Irwin a real run for his money. 

Stanley Morgan Jr.

Morgan was a productive wideout during his final season at Nebraska four years ago, but he’s been almost exclusively a special teams gunner for the Bengals, and a damn good one at that. He’s logged over 900 special teams snaps since making the team as a rookie in 2019.

When Morgan does take the field for the offense, it's usually as a run blocker. The odds of him ever developing into a receiver here are slim at this point, but he's a beloved member of the locker room and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons will be hard pressed to ever leave him off the final 53. 

Trent Taylor

No one in this group will have to fight harder to keep his job than Taylor. He’s a slot-only who makes his biggest contributions as a punt returner. Both roles are up for grabs now that Jones is in the picture.

Taylor still has dependability on his side. He's shown out in the past two preseasons as a receiver, and has held onto his returner role since the end of the 2021 season. But being being dependable with a low ceiling might not cut it this year. He'll have to show even more to fend off Jones from seizing his jobs.

Andrei Iosivas

The ultimate wild card of the group also comes with the highest upside. Iosivas is a collegiate track star who was far more than a role player on the football field. He led Princeton in receiving touchdowns the past two years and was a team captain as a senior. He’s as mentally ready to absorb NFL knowledge as any rookie receiver you’ll come across.

"I really take the advice of Ja'Marr [Chase] and Tee [Higgins] very seriously and critique myself very hard," Iosivas told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com back in May. "Every time I'm watching film, I see what Tee tells me and try to replicate it the next day or that practice."

The Bengals' abundance at the position will likely make this a redshirt year for Iosivas, unless he gives them no choice but to give him regular season reps after a dominant training camp and preseason.

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The Bengals will continue to live in 11 personnel, which puts an emphasis on having enough depth at receiver. Six will be the minimum they keep, and seven is certainly not out of the question.

Jones and Iosivas are virtual locks since the team will want to keep their rookie contracts on the books. At least one of Irwin or Morgan will bring it to six. It's just a matter of if both make it out of August, or Taylor giving them no choice but to keep him around.

Bengals’ Charlie Jones oozes confidence as return specialist

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Featured image via © Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports