Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis suggested Thursday that Walton will likely serve as the top backup to Giovani Bernard while Joe Mixon (knee) is sidelined, Ross Tucker of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports. "Giovani and Mark Walton will shoulder the load for the next few weeks," Lewis said.
A healthy inactive for the first two games of the season, Walton has shot up the depth chart in the wake of Mixon's setback in the Week 2 win over the Ravens and the release of Tra Carson, who went down with a hamstring injury in Monday's practice. The Bengals signed veteran back Thomas Rawls on Wednesday to bolster their depth at the position, but Lewis' comments indicate that the rookie fourth-round pick will work as Bernard's top understudy Week 3 against the Panthers. It's assumed that Bernard will initially handle the overwhelming share of snaps at the position, so Walton's usage on offense may primarily come when the former requires a breather.