Bengals OTA Takeaways: Thoughts on Joe Burrow, the O-Line, the Secondary and More

Cincinnati's voluntary OTAs started this week.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Jun 6, 2023 4:11 PM EDT

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bengals' offseason program continued on Tuesday, as they wore helmets during OTAs for the second day in a row.

Star quarterback Joe Burrow had a good session. He connected with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on multiple plays in 7-on-7 drills. He also found tight end Irv Smith Jr. on a seam route.

Smith made a leaping catch after beating Logan Wilson in coverage.

Burrow continued to work on play-action passes and used different arm angles for various throws throughout the day.

The Bengals' defense faces plenty of question marks on the back end with Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell no longer on the roster.

Second-year safety Dax Hill looks poised to start, but who will lineup next to him?

Veteran Nick Scott took plenty of reps, but is also dealing with a minor shoulder issue. That allowed rookie Jordan Battle to take some reps alongside Hill.

The trio could rotate at safety. It wouldn't be a surprise if defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had a package for different combinations. Hill is the most versatile of the bunch and probably won't leave the field much, but there are times when Anarumo could use a combo of any of the three.

Both rookie wide receivers have impressed coaches and teammates. Andrei Iosivas is a freak-ish athlete with elite speed and Charlie Jones could by a dynamic weapon in the slot.

Jones works out for nearly an hour after practice regularly.

Jonah Williams, DJ Reader, Tyler Boyd and Chidobe Awuzie weren't at Tuesday's session, but it's still voluntary.

Mandatory minicamp starts next week, which is when we could see Williams for the first time this offseason.

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