The Cincinnati Bengals made it official Monday by placing tight end Tanner Hudson on the Reserve/Injured list with a season-ending pectoral injury.

Losing Hudson opens the door for rookie tight end Jack Endries to start contributing on offense. It also frees up a spot on the 53-man roster.

Cincinnati did not make a corresponding move to immediately fill Hudson’s spot, which typically happens when an I.R. decision is made. Two players currently on I.R. are eligible to be activated as soon as this week, and the Bengals could decide on calling one of them up if they decide to not sign someone off the practice squad or outside the building entirely.

But which one will get the nod?

Ja’Sir Taylor is the most likely answer

Cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor is the frontrunner in my eyes. Taylor, a free agent signing from this offseason, was supposed to start the season as the backup nickelback behind Week 1 starter Jalen Davis. He suffered a hamstring injury during the final week of the preseason.

His injury ended up leaving Cincinnati thin in the slot. That became a real problem once Davis suffered a hamstring injury of his own in Week 3. Dax Hill had to move inside, creating a domino effect on the outside where DJ Ivey has stepped into a bigger role.

Activating Taylor would give the Bengals a needed boost of depth at CB. It could also allow Cincinnati to move Hill back to his original spot on the outside, which would put Ivey back on the bench. Hill has more value to this defense as a boundary corner, and Taylor’s return is the cleanest path to getting him there.

Brian Parker II is also an option 

If Taylor is not ready to play, the other option the Bengals could turn to is rookie guard Brian Parker II. Cincinnati placed Parker on IR to begin the season with a knee injury he suffered during the preseason finale.

Like Taylor, the extent of Parker’s injury is not known. It was serious enough for him to miss the first four weeks of the year.

The problem is that the Bengals don’t need Parker right now. Cincinnati has 10 healthy offensive linemen on the active roster. Bringing that number to 11 isn’t going to change anything about who suits up on a given game day.

That’s the key difference between the two players. Taylor fills an actual hole on the depth chart. Parker would be a luxury at a position where the Bengals already have bodies to spare.

When could the Bengals make a move?

If the Bengals activate either player, they will likely do so before practice picks back up Wednesday. The timing makes sense because a designation ahead of that session opens the 21-day practice window right away, giving the coaching staff a full week to evaluate him.

Hudson’s absence will be felt in the tight end room, and Endries now gets the opportunity to show what he can do in a larger role. The bigger roster ripple, however, could be felt in the secondary. A healthy Taylor would give Cincinnati’s defense its first real chance to put its cornerbacks back where they belong since Davis went down.