One of the most notable battles at Cincinnati Bengals training camp has started to unfold at the punter position between veteran Kevin Huber and youngster Drue Chrisman.
The Bengals brought back Huber late in the process this offseason after an NFL draft that featured other teams thinking the team might want to select a punter as early as the fourth round.
That has left the door wide open for Chrisman to come in and make a serious competition of the battle, something Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com noted that he indeed did at the team’s most recent practice:
“There weren’t a lot of booming punts, but first-year challenger Drue Chrisman outkicked veteran incumbent veteran Kevin Huber on Tuesday. Chrisman showed his improvement in directional punting and had some decent hang times while Huber didn’t get much length at all …”
Chrisman, an Ohio State product, was with the team at times last year and this offseason, special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said the most important thing for him will be how he performs during team activities.
So far, Chrisman again has the individual work down. Should that translate to team activities and the preseason, he might just be the only upset surprise to win a job on the roster by final cuts.
