Three Players That Could Breakout at Bengals Training Camp

July is finally here Bengals fans, and it brings the sweltering heat of training camp, marking the start of a pivotal season in team history.

They need wins, and they need them badly. They've only won six games over the past two years. That being said, there is plenty of reason for optimism—from a healthy Joe Burrow to Trae Waynes and DJ Reader's return.

Those three are household names that fans are keeping an eye on, but expect to be solid. That's the great thing about training camp; every year it seems to produce a breakout player that fills a key role throughout the season. Here are candidates to monitor as we all patiently wait for players to report on July 27.

Offense: Chris Evans - Running Back

The Michigan product could end up being one of the steals of the draft. Joe Mixon is the bell cow in this offense, and rightfully so. There is no reason why the newly-paid running back shouldn't be on the field for around 80% of the Bengals snaps this year.

There is a role for Evans in this offense if he can earn a roster spot behind Mixon and Samaje Perine. He brings a skill set that could replace what Giovani Bernard gave this team for nearly a decade.

Evans is an explosive athlete that ultimately flopped at Michigan because of an "academic mistake." That issue caused him to miss all of 2019 and put him behind the 8-ball for a lackluster 2020 campaign. Overall, Evans averaged 5.6 yards per carry on 320 career carries and caught 49 passes for 479 yards as a Wolverine.

"Everything happens for a reason," Evans said to Bengals.com. "I think everybody's story is already written. I think the man upstairs is going to see how I respond to it."

Evans' 9.8 yards per reception metric is what stands out, a comparable number to Bernard's 9.3 YPR during his two seasons at North Carolina, albeit on 43 more catches than Evans. The receiving chops are there, and it's the reason why Evans made one start at slot receiver.

If he makes it through the dog days of summer, expect the Bengals to lean into that versatility. According to Kent Lee Platte, Evans posted a 9.85 Relative Athletic Score, which ranks 24th out of 1,463 running back prospects tracked since 1987.

Evans has the size, speed and athleticism to be a successful NFL running back.

Defense: Khalid Kareem - Defensive End

Khalid Kareem appeared in all 16 games for the Bengals as a rookie last season. He was one of their lone spots of consistent availability across a beat-up defensive interior.

Kareem was one of the few players with any pulse getting after the quarterback. Kareem, Sam Hubbard, and Carl Lawson were the only Bengals edge rushers to record a sack in 2020 according to Sports Info Solutions.

The trio was also the only part of their position group to notch double-digit pressures, with Kareem contributing 11 to Hubbard's 27 and Lawson's 57.

That means there are 57 pressures left on the table for the likes of Trey Hendrickson and Kareem to soak up. The opportunity is there for him to cement himself as a consistent piece in a three-man rotation outside.

Kareem has one key figure to motivate towards that goal in his defensive line coaching dad, Ken Kip.

“I’ve always coached him to use his hands,” Kareem's father said in an interview with the Indy Star. “Sometimes we’ll be at home, and I’ll do something quick. I may take a Muhammad Ali jab at him, even when he isn’t paying attention, because I want him to grab my hand. That quick little jab that was literally just screwing around in the kitchen could turn into a teaching moment.”

The former Notre Dame team captain has all the intangibles to make this the best preseason camp of his football life.

Special Teams: Drue Chrisman - Punter

There is one special teams camp battle brewing at the moment, and it involves every way an NFL team kicks a ball. The Bengals signed Drue Chrisman as an undrafted free agent. The Cincinnati native was a top-five punter in this class.

That talent showed through in the offseason program and has made the Kevin Huber seat a little warmer for the first time since He took over punting duties in 2009.

"We'll get a good view of that in training camp," Simmons said in the Bengals final media Zoom call at Minicamp. "Competition brings out the best. I will tell you that I was very impressed. Drue did a good punting in the limited number of days we've had here."

Chrisman likely won't unseat Huber, who is fresh off his best punting average season in the NFL (47.2 yards per punt), but there is a chance Simmons goes with the younger leg.

A big storyline to watch for fans going to training camp is place holding. Soundly holding the ball for McPherson's foot is an overlooked, but integral part of punter play. A stint on the practice squad is likely for the hometown punter before potentially replacing Huber next season, but that's what competition is for.

Chrisman was the No. 1 punting prospect in the country out of La Salle High School in 2016. He helped the team win back-to-back state titles and is hoping to duplicate that success in the NFL.

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