CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals announced their inactives for today’s game, and it means that as many as eight players should be making their NFL debuts this afternoon against the Cleveland Browns.

Two – and possibly three – rookies are expected to be in the starting lineup.

Second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. is slated to start at linebacker alongside Logan Wilson, and third-rounder Dylan Fairchild will get the nod at left guard.

First-round pick Shemar Stewart is expected to see plenty of action, but we will need to wait to see if he’s on the field for the snap of the game.

The other three draft picks also expected to play – fourth-round linebacker Barrett Carter, fifth-round offensive lineman Jalen Rivers and sixth-round running back Tahj Brooks.

Additionally, undrafted college free agent William Wagner will be handling the long snapper duties after beating out Cal Adomitis.

And 2024 undrafted college free agent PJ Jules should appear in his first action after spending all of last season on the practice squad.

Undrafted college free agent Howard Cross III is one of the inactives, so he will need to wait until later this season to make his NFL.

The other inactives are: cornerback Marco Wilson, center Matt Lee, wide receiver Jermaine Burton, tight end Cam Grandy, defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson and defensive tackle.

That means both of last year’s third-round picks, Burton and Jackson, are healthy scratches.

If, as expected, eight players make their NFL debut, it will be tied for the most since 2017, when nine players did – William Jackson, Joe Mixon, Jordan Willis, Carl Lawson, Andrew Billings, Ryan Glasgow, Jordan Evans, Cethan Carter and Hardy Nickerson.

The Bengals had an 11-man draft class that year, and Jackson missed his entire rookie season in 2016.

Last year the Bengals had seven players make their NFL debuts in the season opener – tight end Erick All Jr., safety Daijahn Anthony, wide receiver Jermaine Burton, Matt Lee, cornerback Josh Newton, linebacker Maema Njongmeta and punter Ryan Rehkow.

At the other end of the spectrum, tight end Drew Sample is the Bengals active leader in games played with 78.

The rest of the top includes:

Tee Higgins, 70

Joe Burrow, 69

Logan Wilson, 68

Trey Hendrickson, 65

B.J. Hill, 64

Ja’Marr Chase, 62

Evan McPherson, 61

Samaje Perine, 54

Jalen Davis (practice squad), 52