With the 153rd overall pick (5th round) of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select G Jalen Rivers.
If you’ve been following things on this site, you’ll know that I have been watching a lot of draft prospects. But it is impossible to get to everyone, and Rivers is one of those ones who went overlooked. My own knowledge on him is limited at this point.
Based on a few different scouting reports, he has experience at G and OT. Word is that he is not a great mover and is a below average athlete, but has an abundance of strength and length.
Based on this, G is definitely a better projection for him than OT. It sounds like he can be a good blocker in a phone booth, but will struggle in space. Success for a guy like that can sometimes depend on the offensive system.
I’ll leave it at that for now. He is another body there to compete in the o-line room. Early next month, I will have an article out with breakdowns on all of the Bengals UDFA signings. I will include my own analysis of Rivers in there, as well.
With the 193rd overall pick (6th round) of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select RB Tahj Brooks.
Brooks is another player who I haven’t watched extensively. But the rundown on him is that he is a small, yet compact power runner. He seems to have some one-cut ability as a runner, runs with power, and is good in pass protection. However, he is lacking in speed.
On the surface here, this pick doesn’t make much sense. It adds a RB that is lacking in speed to a room that has Perine and Moss behind Chase Brown. Stylistically, adding a more dynamic threat would have been more ideal. As well, it is worth mentioning that there seem to have been better players available at other positions.
Like with Rivers, a breakdown on Brooks will be included in the UDFA article next month.
