Breaking Down Cincinnati Bengals Roster After the 2015 NFL Draft

In the aftermath of the 2015 NFL draft, grades, undrafted free agents and more, it's time to step back and take a broad look at the Cincinnati Bengals roster going into the heat of summer. 

By all accounts, the Bengals improved via the spectacle in Chicago. Some might think the improvement leans more toward future years, which is fair, and there's something to appreciate about owner Mike Brown and coach Marvin Lewis sticking to their plan.

The Bengals are one of the league's best drafting teams, which means there won't be a ton of rookie contributions this year. Brown and Lewis are counting on health and another step in development to lead the team back to the postseason.

There's much to sort out in the way of starting positions and roster spots, though. Within, let's take a look at the full roster and break it down by positional groups.

Quarterback

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Players: Andy Dalton, Josh Johnson, AJ McCarron

Not much to see here.

The Cincinnati Bengals decided to ignore quarterback in the draft despite decent value chances in projects such as UCLA's Brett Hundley in the mid-rounds.

Which is fine—the Bengals are all-in on Andy Dalton. AJ McCarron's summer and preseason performances will decide whether the coaching staff decides to bring on a veteran to back up Dalton.

There's no quarterback competition in Cincinnati, but the backup spot may be up for grabs if the team decides to keep just two on the final roster.

Running Back

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The Players: Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, Rex Burkhead, Cedric Peerman, James Wilder Jr., Ryan Hewitt (H-back)

Cincinnati also decided to ignore running back in the 2015 draft.

This makes plenty of sense as well, with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard providing a superb one-two punch. The Bengals also have a special teams ace in Cedric Peerman and a pass-catching back in Rex Burkhead.

Ryan Hewitt is an intriguing chess piece the team can move around, but he may find himself on the bubble thanks to additions at tight end. Ditto for James Wilder Jr., who will need to explode on special teams to convince the staff to keep him instead of Peerman.

Wide Receiver

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Players: A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones, Mario Alford, Cobi Hamilton, Denarius Moore, Tevin Reese, Brandon Tate, James Wright

A few jobs in Cincinnati's wideout corps will go up in flames before the final 53 gets announced.

A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones are the obvious locks and starters, although offseason acquisition Denarius Moore might act as the fourth receiver.

More interesting is the back end of the roster, where Cobi Hamilton will need to improve his catch rate in order to stand a chance. Brandon Tate and seventh-round rookie Mario Alford will duke it out for the returning job, as the Bengals won't keep around two wideouts whose only contributions come on special teams.

James Wright is in the mix there too, although if Alford's film is any sign, the rookie might steal the job.

Tight End

The Players: Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, C.J. Uzomah, Kevin Brock, Jake Murphy

There's no question Tyler Eifert is No. 1 on the depth chart in Cincinnati at tight end.

The additions of Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah make things interesting, though, as they seem to shut the door on any chance Jermaine Gresham returns.

Both Kroft and Uzomah, but especially the latter, need some refinement. But they're massive threats who can produce in a situational capacity as rookies if necessary. They ooze potential, but things could get messy if Eifert suffers another injury.

Offensive Line

The Players: Russell Bodine, T.J. Johnson, Clint Boling, Trey Hopkins, Kevin Zeitler, Dan France, Tanner Hawkinson, Matthew O'Donnell, Cedric Ogbuehi, Andre Smith, Andrew Whitworth, Eric Winston, Jake Fisher

There is a world of possibilities along the offensive line after the Cincinnati Bengals selected Cedric Ogbuehi in the first round and Jake Fisher in the second.

The team figures to take things slow with Ogbuehi considering he tore an ACL in January, so he might not see the field as a rookie. Fisher, though, figures to be the first backup off the bench.

Still, Cincinnati could shuffle things around. A popular theory centers on, well, center Russell Bodine, who was a weak point on the line last year. If he doesn't improve as a sophomore, he could see the bench, although it seems unlikely after the team traded up to get him in the 2014 draft.

The incoming wealth of talent means the Bengals may have to let go of high-upside projects such as T.J. Johnson and Tanner Hawkinson, but this is one of the pitfalls of having too much quality talent.

Defensive Line

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Players: Will Clarke, Carlos Dunlap, Wallace Gilberry, Margus Hunt, Michael Johnson, Sam Montgomery, Geno Atkins, Kwame Geathers, Marcus Hardison, Domata Peko, Pat Sims, Devon Still, Brandon Thompson

Perhaps the biggest knock on the Cincinnati Bengals' 2015 class centered on the team's lack of getting pass-rush help in the early rounds.

There may be a reason for the decision, though, as Margus Hunt touts all the upside in the world and will be healthy this year. The coaching staff also likes Will Clarke, a third-round pick in 2014 who is a physical clone of Michael Johnson—who is also back in the fold.

The addition of Marcus Hardison in the fourth round complicates things on cut day. He's Wallace Gilberry, an end who can rush from the outside or kick inside in passing situations. One of Devon Sill or Brandon Thompson's jobs may be in jeopardy, as it seems unlikely the team would be willing to let go of any notable ends.

Linebacker

The Players: Vontaze Burfict, Chris Carter, Paul Dawson, Jayson DiManche, Marquis Flowers, A.J. Hawk, Emmanuel Lamur, Rey Maualuga, Sean Porter, Vincent Rey, Nico Johnson

There's a world of possibilities at linebacker too.

Third-round pick Paul Dawson, considered by many a first-round talent, has what it takes to secure a starting gig. Whether it comes as a weak-side 'backer or in the middle is hard to say and might hinge on whether or not Vontaze Burfict is healthy by next season.

Rey Maualuga and A.J. Hawk both figure to play a starting role in some way, at least on the first two downs, if Marvin Lewis' love for veterans in past years is any sign. This creates a major roster battle for young players with upside such as Sean Porter, Jayson DiManche and Marquis Flowers.

There's only so much room for linebackers on a team running a 4-3 alignment, and Dawson, along with the two veterans and Burfict, are locks. It makes for the biggest position battle of all on the road to next season.

Secondary

The Players: Darqueze Dennard, Brandon Ghee, Leon Hall, Adam Jones, Dre Kirkpatrick, Chris Lewis-Harris, Onterio McCalebb, Josh Shaw, George Iloka, Shiloh Keo, Reggie Nelson, Shawn Williams, Derron Smith

It's not hard to figure out how the Cincinnati Bengals' safety position shakes out this summer, with sixth-round rookie Derron Smith all but assured a backup job with Shawn Williams until Reggie Nelson's contract expires after next season.

More interesting is corner, where the team will have to make some tough choices. Leon Hall, Adam Jones, Darqueze Dennard and Dre Kirkpatrick are safe, but the addition of versatile rookie Josh Shaw hurts others. Onterio McCalebb, Brandon Ghee and Chris Lewis-Harris will need to fight for their jobs for limited spots.

There's no such thing as too many good defensive backs on a roster these days. Cincinnati has a wealth of talent, but only so many spots. Like linebacker, serious competition will produce the best final depth chart. 

Special Teams

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The Players: Mike Nugent, Clark Harris, Kevin Huber

Not much to see here, either. 

The Cincinnati Bengals are big on continuity, for those who haven't noticed, and it's a strategy extending to special teams.

As hinted in the wide receiver section, things may change when it comes to kick returner, at least. Rookie Mario Alford may swipe the job from Brandon Tate, and one of the rookies may force Adam Jones to only focus on base defense, which might be a good thing in the minds of the coaching staff.

Thanks to the draft, Cincinnati's kick coverage teams will have new bite too, thanks to names such as Paul Dawson, Josh Shaw and Derron Smith.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of May 5. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. Full roster courtesy of Bengals.com as of May 5 at 1 p.m. ET.