As the Cincinnati Bengals get some well-deserved rest before heading back to training camp on July 28, it’s time we looked at some potential breakout players in 2017.

Some of the players on the Bengals, whether due to injuries or being buried on the depth chart, haven’t been able to showcase what they can do up to this point. However, things have changed this season, with multiple rookies coming back from injury as well as departures of some key veterans. Because of that, there will be some new faces in the starting lineup on both defense and offense.

We’ll start off with linebacker Nick Vigil. Vigil is going into his second season, penciled in as the starter at left outside linebacker. Last season, he saw some substantial playing time in the final three games, showing coaches and fans glimpses of his potential. Because he played so well in the three games (especially the Week 17 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens), they are now asking Vigil to take the vacant spot left by Karlos Dansby’s exit.

Last training camp, coaches and players pointed out Vigil’s athleticism and smarts. Having seen some of Vigil’s game tape from his time with the Aggies, I can assure you that he does indeed have the athleticism and smarts needed to play the position. He routinely redirected his teammates at the line of scrimmage, showing his leadership abilities as well as football I.Q. He also played well in zone coverage as well as taking care of checkdown options, displaying his coverage skills. Lastly, his instincts in the run game allowed him to consistently make tackles near the line of scrimmage.

In 2016 for Cincinnati, Vigil showcased some of those same abilities in his 110 snaps on defense. For reference, Dansby played 781 snaps last season, which equates to roughly seven times more than Vigil. If we were to take Vigil’s 21 tackles and extrapolate that number to about 770 snaps, his numbers shoot up to 147 tackles in 16 games. However, you do have to account for his special teams tackles, which made up about 45 percent of his numbers, so realistically he would end up with about 80-100 tackles. If he were to end up with around 100 tackles, I would consider that an immense success.

The one weakness that I noticed was his inability to shed blocks against stronger offensive linemen. This keeps him from affecting the run game in a substantial manner. Although he plays well in space, to be a great linebacker, shedding blocks is a fundamental part of the game. If he can improve on this one aspect of his game, I expect him to be a very solid player for the Bengals in the years to come.

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Of course, one shouldn’t assume that playing more snaps will equate to more success. But in Vigil’s case, I believe it will. Linebackers tend to play better as they stay on the field, so I have no doubts that Vigil will wholly improve on his rookie numbers. As long as he can stay healthy, expect Vigil to be a solid player in the upcoming season.