The Cincinnati Bengals have played only two games, and already, each of their top three draft picks has more snaps at their primary position than 2022 first-round selection Dax Hill had throughout his entire rookie season.

Blocked by veterans Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, Hill logged just 20 snaps at safety in 19 regular-season and postseason games.

What Has Bengals DC Lou Anarumo Seen From His Rookie Draft Picks?

Through the first two games this season, first-round defensive end Myles Murphy has 32 snaps, second-round cornerback DJ Turner has 59, and third-round safety Jordan Battle has 26.

“I think it’ll pay dividends down the road for sure,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said after watching film of the team’s 27-24 loss to the Ravens.

But there are going to be growing pains before those dividends cash, and Anarumo spent some time Monday detailing a couple of plays that illustrate where the rookies are on the learning curve.

Battle got his first significant snaps Sunday when starter Nick Scott left the game injured twice, once in the second quarter and again in the fourth, at which point he was ruled out with a concussion. Anarumo brought up one of Battle’s first plays – a first and 10 at the Baltimore 47 – when asked how the rookie did.

“He’s at the point of attack on one of the runs where he’s standing right in the gap,” Anarumo said. “It’s a simple fit, and he’s kind of soft and playing pass instead of playing run and it’s (8) yards. He’s the free hitter. Nobody blocked him.”

Battle, who is lined up alongside linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt, looks into the backfield but inexplicably back pedals as Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson hands the ball to running back Justice Hill.

After he reacts and recovers, he misses the tackle on Hill, turning a five-yard run into a gain of eight.

“It’s all lessons learned,” Anarumo said. “Unfortunately, this time of year, it costs you when you have a rookie safety in that situation where they’re a little unsure, and it’s his first time. But he’ll get better and learn from it.”

MORE: Ranking the NFL’s 0-2 Teams

Turner has had the most work through the first two games as he rotates with starting corner Chidobe Awuzie as part of a load management program, with Awuzie seeing his first action since tearing his ACL last Halloween. And, for the most part, Turner has played well.

But Anarumo pointed at Turner on a play that was not only the longest but the biggest momentum swing of the game when Jackson hit Zay Flowers for 52 yards one play after Baltimore safety Geno Stone intercepted Joe Burrow at the goal line.

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— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 17, 2023

Turner was at left corner on Rashod Bateman. His assignment was to pass him off to Dax Hill and be the help on a deep shot, which in this case went to Flowers with Cam Taylor-Britt in coverage.

“I thought the guys were in really good shape,” Anarumo said. “I thought Cam was there. It was a hell of a throw and catch. DJ could’ve pushed quicker. He ended up getting there. He was about a stride away from being close enough to knock the ball away, so it’s a lesson learned for the rookie there.

“As soon as we do the coverage we did it there, he’s got to go like a bat out of hell and get there,” Anarumo continued. “So he should intercept it, really, at the end of the day. We’re kind of losing a safety and gaining a safety, and he was just a little bit slow.”

Murphy has yet to show up on the stat sheet in either of his first two games. He played 13 snaps against the Browns and 19 against the Ravens. Pro Football Focus credited Murphy with a pressure against Baltimore, but the rookie from Clemson is still looking for his first tackle and quarterback hit.

But Anarumo had a much more positive take on what he’s seen from Murphy.

MORE: PFN’s Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

“He just keeps getting better each week. You see his speed, you see his athleticism, similar to Dax,” Anarumo said, adding that he doesn’t think Hill would have been able to play this early as a rookie as Murphy has.

“Now that (Hill) has a year under his belt, he’s making plays out there. He’s being aggressive. It’ll be the same for (Murphy), and hopefully he’ll continue to make plays for us as the season goes on this year,” Anarumo said. “We’re gonna have him out there. He’s gonna get his reps. I just think every week is a learning experience for him.”

Whether Battle continues to get snaps will depend on how quickly Scott recovers from his concussion, and Turner’s usage will be tied to when the staff feels comfortable about Awuzie’s recovery to use him full time.

Murphy’s playing time could be contingent on outside forces as well, with Joseph Ossai expected to be back soon, possibly Monday night, from his ankle injury.

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Two Monday Night Football games down. Two soul-crushing season-ending injuries. In Week 1, the football gods claimed Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles. In Week 2, they determined Nick Chubb’s knee must be sacrificed. Unfortunately, fantasy football presses on, and managers must react. Should managers be preemptively adding Kareem Hunt off the waiver wire?

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Should Kareem Hunt Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 3?

It is no surprise to hear many fantasy managers and football fans alike talk about the prospect of the Cleveland Browns bringing back Hunt to replace Chubb. After all, Hunt was there for four years serving as the lightning to Chubb’s thunder.

Although Hunt looked close to finished last season, he’s still only 28 years old. That’s not exactly young for a running back, but it’s possible he just had a bad year and still has some juice left.

We know the Browns are going to sign someone at the running back position. The question is whether the guy they sign is just a warm body to put at the back of the roster as emergency depth or is a legitimate candidate to play meaningful snaps right away. I would classify Hunt as the latter.

As things currently stand, Jerome Ford is set to be the lead back. He played 49% of the snaps against the Steelers, carrying the ball 16 times for 106 yards while adding three catches on four targets for 25 yards and a touchdown.

Ford really should’ve had two touchdowns, but his 69-yard touchdown scamper was overturned on replay, putting him down at the 1-yard line. He was summarily subbed out for Pierre Strong because he was exhausted.

Update: Kareem Hunt is nearing a deal with the Cleveland Browns as of Wednesday morning.

There is no doubt for me that Ford will start this week, regardless of what the Browns do at running back. With that said, if they do sign Hunt, is only a matter of time before he becomes their RB2, possibly playing enough to be fantasy-relevant.

The speculation surrounding Hunt is completely understandable. If fantasy managers have the roster spot available, by all means, grab Hunt and stash him.

Here’s the thing, though. The Browns could have chosen to re-sign Hunt this offseason. They drafted Ford last year and gave him all of eight carries on the season. Clearly, they saw what they had with Ford in practice.

The Browns chose to keep Ford as their RB2 behind Chubb and let Hunt walk. For that reason, I am skeptical they have any interest in bringing Hunt back.

Since the preseason and extending through the first two weeks of the regular season, every running back injury has been met with speculation that the team might sign Hunt or Leonard Fournette.

It is important to remember that all of these teams had all summer to sign Hunt or Fournette and chose not to. I’m not saying it won’t happen eventually, but there have been a lot of signings that weren’t these two guys.

Of course, money plays a factor. Hunt and Fournette are going to demand larger contracts than guys like Tony Jones or Zonovan Knight. But that matters, too.

MORE: Week 3 Buy Low, Sell High Candidates 

Obviously, the Chubb injury is why Hunt’s name is coming up. There are also 31 other teams that could potentially sign Hunt. I do believe one of them will at some point.

With all that said, roster spots are valuable in fantasy football. Injuries are piling up. Bye weeks are looming. It is very difficult to stash guys that have a 0% chance of breaking out due to not being employed by an NFL team.

Given how fresh the news is on Chubb, if you want to put in a waiver claim for Hunt tonight, stash him, and see what transpires over the next few days, go for it. But if Hunt doesn’t sign by the end of the week, I would drop him for someone who could actually break out this weekend. Overall, I would not be prioritizing Hunt on the Week 3 waiver wire.