Risers and fallers from the Bengals preseason loss the Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has compared the complexity of the defensive scheme in the preseason to the “kids menu” at a restaurant. He saves most of the nuances for the regular season and the games that count.

He made an exception to that approach with the way he used rookie safety Dax Hill in the Bengals’ preseason opener.

In the first drive alone, Hill played six different types of coverage. During his first preseason game, he nearly had two interceptions. He showed he’s a more physical player than he was in college. And Anarumo indicated that Hill is going to have a meaningful role in Week 1.

Hill looked ready for it in the Bengals’ preseason opener.

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“I saw his range, I saw his athleticism and for a young guy in his first time going out there, I know it was a surreal moment for him,” said Bengals safety Mike Thomas, who started alongside Hill. “To see him make those plays in the post, almost make that interception, that would have been a wild play. There’s so much to like about him.”

Here are the risers and fallers from the Bengals’ preseason opener, which showed that the Bengals’ rookie class could make a bigger immediate impact than expected.

Risers

Safety Dax Hill

On the first series of the game, Hill played as the lone safety down the field and as a split safety in a Cover-2 defense. He run blitzed and pass blitzed. He served as a quarterback spy and as a linebacker.

The highlights were the two near-interceptions. On one play, Hill guarded the Cardinals’ tight end in one-on-one coverage. On a fade, Hill kept the tight end on his front shoulder to create leverage as he attempted a leaping catch. He would have had it if not for a pass breakup by the tight end.

Hill barely guarded tight ends in college, and that’s been the biggest growth in his game with the Bengals. Since he can do that, Anarumo is going to be able to use more three-safety looks on third downs with Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell and Hill. On a few other routes, Hill showed his strength again versus tight ends by absorbing a few hits past the line of scrimmage and holding his ground against the route.

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“They’re bigger bodies, and I can be more physical,” Hill said. “That’s something where I’ve had to adjust my game and make sure I’m playing my techniques so I won’t get flustered or anything like that.”

Later in the game, Cardinals quarterback Trace McSorley attempted the throw that Bengals quarterback Brandon Allen said he has avoided during camp because of Hill’s speed. McSorley was throwing to his slot receiver down the field. Hill was waiting to pounce, and he broke up the pass with a running hit on the receiver.

“He jumped out at you,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said about the Bengals’ first-round pick.

Left guard Cordell Volson

On the day the Bengals drafted Volson, offensive line coach Frank Pollack said Volson didn’t have one standout trait, but he was consistent. Against the Cardinals, Volson was virtually the only Bengals offensive lineman who was never on the ground, committing a penalty or sprinting into the backfield looking for someone to block.

Volson has a physical presence at the line of scrimmage. While he usually wasn’t moving the pocket forward, he excelled at holding his ground and picking up his assignment. He made two of the best blocks of the game, twice helping out both the left tackle and the center by sliding across the line of scrimmage during the play.

Volson played the entire game against third and fourth stringers, but his communication, his steady footwork and his effort moving down the field as a run blocker were the highlights of the game for the Bengals offensive line. For a coaching staff that has challenged its young players to perform well in the preseason, Volson earned more first-team reps.

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Wide receiver Mike Thomas

Taylor said none of the players with entrenched roles would play on Friday, and Thomas didn’t see the field.

Thomas’ ability to line up at any point of the field as a receiver, his deep understanding of the offense and the flashes of his athleticism down the field have set him up for a more consistent role on the offense than he had in 2021.

Fallers

Offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji

Last year, Adeniji was a starting offensive guard for the entire second half of the season on the Bengals. This year, the coaching staff didn’t even give him a snap at guard in the first preseason game.Adeniji played tackle as the Bengals evaluated Jackson Carman and Cordell Volson. Adeniji had the worst game of the offensive line group, struggling to contain pass rushers on the edge.

His shot at a spot on the active roster would be as a versatile bench piece. With as much as he struggled at tackle –– he was benched in the fourth quarter after three straight mistakes –– his only shot at playing time would appear to be at guard. With the coaching staff’s priority to get Volson playing time at guard, Adeniji would have to jump the rookie on the depth chart to be active in Week 1.

Cornerback depth

After practice on Monday, rookie cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt finished practice but walked gingerly off the field at the end. On Wednesday, he wore his jersey for practice but didn’t participate. Then on Friday, Taylor revealed Taylor-Britt injured his core, which will keep him out.

The Bengals’ three starting cornerbacks didn’t play on Friday, and Tre Flowers, the first backup off the bench, only played a few snaps. With Taylor-Britt also out, the Bengals had a group of undrafted free agents playing most of the snaps.

The second-and-third string cornerbacks were the Bengals’ biggest weakness as the Cardinals scored 36 points. Anarumo often says that you “can’t have too many corners,” and the Bengals don’t have anywhere near enough depth right now.

Rookie cornerback Allan George played soft coverage, allowing catches over the middle, and also committed a pass interference penalty on a deep ball down the sideline. Jalen Davis, a slot corner, took a significant amount of reps on the outside. Cornerback Delonte Hood played last season at a small school in Peru State College, and the other Bengals’ backup cornerbacks are true slot players.

Tight end Thad Moss

Moss’ reaction said it all after his second holding penalty of the game brought back a touchdown run by running back Chris Evans. He clapped his hands together, shook his head and walked toward the middle of the field looking frustrated.

The coaches have made it clear that run blocking is the priority for the Bengals backup tight ends. Moss had two holding penalties, including another one that brought back a 60-yard run by Evans.

Third-string tight end Mitchell Wilcox left the game with a left ankle injury, but he has a big lead in that roster battle when he’s healthy.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Projecting player grades from Bengals vs. Cardinals NFL preseason