Bengals release first depth chart of 2016 season

The Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings will square off this week in Week 1 of the preseason.

Ahead of this, both teams are putting out their depth charts to give media and fans an idea of what the pecking order on their rosters looks like. For the Bengals, it's a lot of the same ol' names and faces occupying the top spots.

The surprises and eye-openers are few and far between on this first projection. Perhaps the only notable development is how many rookies and first-year players have already crept into second-string roles. Wide receiver Tyler Boyd, strong safety Floyd Raven, right guard Christian Westerman, middle linebacker Trevor Roach and cornerback William Jackson III are all listed as the first backups at their respective positions.

Speaking of, it’s odd to see Jackson even listed on the depth chart now that a torn pectoral may have ended his season. Perhaps this is a tribute by the Bengals to show just how much progress the rookie had already made toward earning a role and playing time with this defense.

But for the most part, we’re seeing entrenched starters and veteran backups occupying the top two spots throughout the roster. That’s to be expected in Week 1 of the preseason, but that doesn’t mean it will remain the case in Week 1 of the regular season.

Here's the latest look at the Bengals' depth chart entering their first preseason game:

Offense

Quarterback:

1. Andy Dalton
2. AJ McCarron
3. Keith Wenning
4. Joe Licata

Running Back:

1. Jeremy Hill
2. Giovani Bernard
3. Cedric Peerman
4. Rex Burkhead
5. Tra Carson
6. Bronson Hill

H-Back/Fullback:

1. Ryan Hewitt
2. Jeff Luc
3. Andrew Bonnett

Wide Receiver 1:

1. A.J. Green
2. Tyler Boyd
3. James Wright
4. Jake Kumerow
5. Michael Bennett
6. Alex Erickson
7. Rashaun Simonise

Wide Receiver 2:

1. Brandon LaFell
2. Brandon Tate
3. Mario Alford
4. Cody Core
5. Alonzo Russell
6. Antwane Grant

Tight End:

1. Tyler Eifert
2. Tyler Kroft
3. C.J. Uzomah
4. John Peters
5. Matt Lengel

Left Tackle:

1. Andrew Whitworth
2. Jake Fisher
3. John Weidenaar

Right Tackle:

1. Cedric Ogbuehi
2. Eric Winston
3. Aaron Epps

Left Guard:

1. Clint Boling
2. Trey Hopkins
3. Alex Redmond

Right Guard:

1. Kevin Zeitler
2. Christian Westerman
3. Trip Thurman

Center:

1. Russell Bodine
2. T.J. Johnson
3. Alex Cooper

Defense

Left Defensive End:

1. Carlos Dunlap
2. Margus Hunt
3. Ryan Brown

Right Defensive End:

1. Michael Johnson
2. Will Clarke
3. Jack Gangwish

Defensive Tackle:

1. Geno Atkins
2. Brandon Thompson
3. Marcus Hardison
4. DeShawn Williams

Nose Tackle:

1. Domata Peko
2. Pat Sims
3. Andrew Billings
4. David Dean

Inside Linebackers:

1. Rey Maualuga
2. Trevor Roach
3. Nick Vigil

Strongside Linebackers:

1. Karlos Dansby
2. P.J. Dawson
3. Jayson DiManche
4. Darien Harris

Weakside Linebackers:

1. Vontaze Burfict* (Suspended first three games of 2016)
2. Vincent Rey
3. Marquis Flowers

Left Cornerback:

1. Dre Kirkpatrick
2. William Jackson
3. Chris Lewis-Harris
4. Josh Shaw
5. Chykie Brown
6. Darius Hillary

Right Cornerback:

1. Adam Jones
2. Darqueze Dennard
3. Corey Tindal

Free Safety:

1. George Iloka
2. Derron Smith
3. Clayton Fejedelem

Strong Safety:

1. Shawn Williams
2. Floyd Raven
3. Jimmy Wilson

Special teams

Kicker:

1. Mike Nugent
2. Zach Hocker

Punter:

1. Kevin Huber

Long Snapper:

1. Clark Harris

What are your thoughts on the first depth chart?