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One might not expect the combination of a first and seventh-round pick to be getting major hype as the Cincinnati Bengals start the preseason.
But that’s what appears to be unfolding in Cincinnati, where first-rounder Dax Hill has played with the ones in place of Jessie Bates and seventh-rounder Jeff Gunter has put on a show when given a chance.
The Athletic’s Jay Morrison and Paul Dehner Jr. polled players and coaches about who they are most excited to see play this preseason and Hill was an obvious choice.
Quarterback Brandon Allen — a guy who would know based on practicing against Bates, told them the following about Hill: “Dax will be fun to watch out there. He has shown some pretty incredible range there in the post-safety.”
There were as many people, if not more, clamoring to see Gunter, the new No. 93. Some, like Tee Higgins, didn’t even know the name, but wanted to see him play: “I want to see No. 93 on the D line. He’s been dominating every time I see him out there on the field.”
Offensive coordinator Brain Callahan shared a fun note too:
“The two young pass rushers have been really impressive, Gunter and Carter. I can’t wait to see what they look like in a real game. They’ve looked pretty damn good for young players. I want to see if they look as good Friday night as they’ve looked out here.”
The writeup also mentions that safety Vonn Bell gave his answer, then later returned to add No. 93 to the list — not a bad deal for a seventh-rounder so far.
In other words, if it weren’t already obvious before, Hill and Gunter are major names to watch in the preseason games.
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