Willis caught three of six targets for 55 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 25-23 preseason loss to the Giants.

EDGE Analysis

Willis got the start as the Bengals were without receivers A.J. Green (ankle) and John Ross (hamstring), but he didn't make a single catch until backup quarterback Ryan Finley was in the game and his three-yard touchdown came from third-stringer Jake Dolegala. Still, this strong performance and coach Zac Taylor's willingness to trot Willis out with the No. 1's suggests the undrafted rookie is positioning himself to make the 53-man roster.

Willis caught five passes for 59 yards in Thursday's preseason win over Washington, and had another 35-yard touchdown catch waived off on a disputed offensive pass interference penalty. He has a chance to win a roster spot, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Willis, an undrafted rookie out of Troy, previously had earned praise from the coaching staff in practice. It's still an uphill battle for him to make the team, but he's done a lot of positive things so far to advance his cause. "I think about it every day," Willis said. "I'm not going to say I don't think about it. Obviously, that's the ultimate goal. It's harder for us. I'm an undrafted free agent. It's even harder for me to even make the team anyway even if I do everything correctly."