• Joe Burrow is on track to be an all-time great: Burrow, the first overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, has been in the league for just four seasons. But in each of those four seasons, he has earned a PFF passing grade thank ranks top-seven among Bengals quarterbacks dating back to 2006.
• Geno Atkins was a force on the defensive interior: Since 2006, eight Bengals interior defenders have earned a single-season grade above 80.0. Six of those eight, including all three above 90.0, belong to Atkins.
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Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
PFF has collected football data since the 2006 NFL season. That allows us to look back at almost two decades of grades and numbers and pick out the best seasons at each position.
Here are the top players at each position for the Cincinnati Bengals in that span and some key takeaways from the data.
QB: Joe Burrow, 2022, 92.4 PFF Grade
RB: Joe Mixon, 2022, 81.6 PFF Grade
WR: A.J. Green, 2015, 90.5 PFF Grade
WR: T. J. Houshmandzadeh, 2006, 88.5 PFF Grade
WR: Chad Johnson, 2006, 88.2 PFF Grade
TE: Tyler Eifert, 2015, 87.1 PFF Grade
LT: Andrew Whitworth, 2014, 93.0 PFF Grade
LG: Evan Mathis, 2009, 91.5 PFF Grade
C: Kyle Cook, 2010, 78.5 PFF Grade
RG: Bobbie Williams, 2008, 89.7 PFF Grade
RT: Stacey Andrews, 2007, 80.6 PFF Grade
Edge: Carlos Dunlap, 2019, 89.9 PFF Grade
Edge: Trey Hendrickson, 2023, 84.1 PFF Grade
DI: Geno Atkins, 2012, 93.9 PFF Grade
DI: D.J. Reader, 2022, 85.3 PFF Grade
LB: Vontaze Burfict, 2016, 83.3 PFF Grade
LB: Vincent Rey, 2016, 78.5 PFF Grade
CB: William Jackson, 2017, 90.2 PFF Grade
CB: Leon Hall, 2009, 90.0 PFF Grade
CB: Johnathan Joseph, 2009, 83.4 PFF Grade
S: Reggie Nelson, 2012, 90.2 PFF Grade
S: Jessie Bates III, 2020, 90.1 PFF Grade
K: Evan McPherson, 2021, 89.3 PFF Grade
P: Kevin Huber, 2013, 72.2 PFF Grade
K/PR: Adam Jones, 2014, 90.9 PFF Grade
ST: Margus Hunt, 2016, 91.2 PFF Grade
*minimum 500 snaps except for running back (minimum of 100 carries)
Strength At Wide Receiver
The Bengals were producing dominant receivers long before Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were catching passes from Joe Burrow.
A.J. Green earned a PFF grade above 80.0 in seven straight seasons between 2012 and 2018, while Chad Johnson was dominant in the first year of PFF grading. Back in 2006, Johnson averaged 2.49 yards per route run, trailing only Lee Evans of the Buffalo Bills among wide receivers.
Joe Burrow In A Class Of His Own At Quarterback
Burrow, the first overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, has been in the league for just four seasons. But in each of those four seasons, he has earned a PFF passing grade thank ranks top-seven among Bengals quarterbacks dating back to 2006. His 92.4 PFF grade in 2022 and 91.9 grade in 2021 are the two best seasons by a Bengals quarterback since we began grading.
Geno Atkins’ Dominance
Since 2006, eight Bengals interior defenders have earned a single-season grade above 80.0. Six of those eight, including all three above 90.0, belong to Geno Atkins. The 2012 season was his best, as he earned a 93.9 PFF grade and registered 82 total pressures (including 16 sacks) from just 554 pass-rushing snaps.
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