Bengals: Full Position Breakdown and Depth Chart Analysis at Running Back

When it comes to upcoming Cincinnati Bengals roster battles, it's easy to focus on wideout and along the defense, but perhaps most interesting of all is the one at running back.

There, the young tandem of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard create one of the league's most interesting one-two punches, but it hasn't stopped coach Marvin Lewis and the front office from securing as much talent as possible behind the starting two.

This far out from the onset of the 2015 season, it's also tough to gauge just how the staff will deploy the depth chart's top two backs.

Here's a look at the current depth chart: 

1	Jeremy Hill
2	Giovani Bernard
3	Rex Burkhead
4	Cedric Peerman
5	Ryan Hewitt (H-B)
6	James Wilder Jr. (FB)
7	Terrell Watson
8	Mark Weisman (FB)

Of course, looks can deceive.

As the copycat league continues to evolve, more and more franchises continue to move away from having one set starter, making a depth chart a formality.

NAME	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Jeremy Hill	222	1124	5.1	9
Giovani Bernard	168	680	4.0	5

The Bengals are one of these teams. As a rookie, Hill handled the bulk of the carries last year thanks to his bruising, effective style, but Bernard still received a respectable amount of carries, as the table shows.

With Bernard, the coaching staff has a pass-catching target who can take the field in passing situations or even at the same time as Hill to keep defenses guessing. Last season he ranked fourth on the team with 43 receptions for 349 yards two scores.

How offensive coordinator Hue Jackson plans to deploy both backs figures to be something he keeps close to his chest, but it's not hard to imagine Hill leading the way in touches again.

For the soon-to-be sophomore, he seems to see the merit in a balanced attack to keep both backs fresh.

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"Obviously there's going to be a balanced attack," Hill said, per ESPN.com's Coley Harvey. "I don't think he's got to wear either one of us out, so that way we can make it through all 16 games for a playoff push."

The thought gains more momentum when one remembers Bernard took the bulk of the snaps through the first eight weeks last year before missing three games due to injury. Now the coaching staff has no reason to ease Hill into the action, so a balanced load to keep both fresh and avoid injury seems in order. 

Should both top runners remain healthy, there's little reason to work in a third back, but Lewis and Co. might do so anyway thanks to the presence of Rex Burkhead. He only carried the ball nine times last year, but Jackson seems to have ideas about how to get him more involved, as he told Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"

He's very talented. You have a talented player on your team you see if you can find a way to get him involved. He can do a little bit of everything. He can run the ball, too. He can catch, protect. He's one of the better players on our team so we will see what we can do with him.

"

It won't be odd to see Burkhead on the field as a receiver, and it's safe to expect him to push special teams ace Cedric Peerman for a spot on the roster if everyone stays healthy. 

Hybrid back Ryan Hewitt is also worth a mention thanks to his ability to line up in the backfield or at other slots. He was a nice developmental surprise last year, and could have more in store this season as the team searches for a full-time fullback and a pass-catching target to ease the load on the two rookie tight ends behind Tyler Eifert.

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Speaking of fullback, it seems James Wilder Jr. might have a role there, which is the team's way of trying to keep another talented player around rather than show him the door on cut day thanks to the team's exceptional drafting.

Wilder showed well in college as a rusher, scoring 19 touchdowns over the course of his final two years at Florida State. He's a victim of circumstance in Cincinnati, though, where his shot at playing time seems to come as a lead blocker in certain packages who can double as a surprise rusher.

Jackson spoke with Harvey about finding a way to get the former Seminoles star involved:

"

The fun part about him -- and like all of our guys -- anybody that's willing to do whatever it takes to make this football team, you have to give guys the opportunity. If he was just standing back there with the backs we have, how many reps would he have? This is a chance to get him more reps, to get him more involved in the offense and see what he brings.

"

It's not hard to see why running back remains one of the strongest positions in Cincinnati, nor why it seems a surefire bet the coaching staff retains a run-first approach to keep pressure off quarterback Andy Dalton and the passing game.

There's a long summer ahead for the backs on the roster, but the writing is on the wall—versatility and a willingness to leave a comfort zone wins jobs.

No matter how the battles shake out, Cincinnati finds itself in a good position at running back, where a versatile bunch flank a starting one-two punch built for wearing down defenses in multiple ways.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of June 9. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.