The Bengals capped off a good draft by adding an additional 11 UDFA’s. It is an intriguing group, with a few of the players possessing enough upside to potentially outperform their status. While obviously developmental projects in one way or another, it will be interesting to see how they are able to perform in camp and the preseason, as they look to prove themselves. Although I did scouting reports and positional rankings leading up to the draft, none of these players had made it into those, so I will be taking a look at each one, and give a rough projection of where they might have graded out had I done a pre-draft deep dive.
LB, Eric Gentry
6’7”, 221 lbs
Gentry is a long, rangy LB with some intriguing tools to work with. His tall frame stands out, and his tackle radius frequently worked in his favour, as he was able to cleanly wrap up ball carriers, and also track them down from behind. He has good straight line speed and his long stride allows him to cover a decent amount of ground when sitting in zone coverage. His length helps when looking to break up a pass.
His lean frame is one of the bigger issues. While his length offers edge rushing upside, he doesn’t have the mass for that right now. Even as an off the ball LB, he can get washed out of plays. While Gentry is a good athlete for his size, his tall frame naturally leads to issues changing direction, which can hurt in coverage and against the run. It doesn’t help that his instincts are a big work in progress.
Gentry has some developmental upside, thanks to his long frame and straight line speed. But right now, a role for him might not be fully defined. If he can fill out his frame and learn to read plays better, the Bengals might have something to work with. Early on, he might have a chance to prove himself on special teams, though developmental time on the practice squad feels more likely. Had I gotten to him pre-draft, he likely would have ended up with a 6th or 7th round grade.
OT, Christian Jones
6’9”, 345 lbs
Jones initially stands out for his size, but his athleticism quickly becomes noticeable when watching his tape. He moves very well, showing the ability, not only to protect the edge against speed, but also to block in space in the run game. Along with this athleticism, Jones pairs it with high end power, a strong punch, and the ability to engulf power rushers early in their attack. His length further makes it tough for opponents to win.
While the physical traits are there in abundance, technique is where he’ll get himself into trouble. Sometimes, he was slow out of his stance and suffered a quick loss. Other times, sloppy footwork shows up, or poor hand technique allows his opponent to swipe them aside and cross face. There are also instances where he’ll get his pad level too high.
The traits are highly intriguing. I think it is clear to see starting upside in Jones. The coaching staff will have to work through the issues and develop him. For project OT’s, it doesn’t always work out, but you can see why the Bengals chose to give him a $50,000 signing bonus to entice him to sign in Cincinnati. Pre-draft, Jones likely would have graded out in the 5th-6th round range.
S, Isaiah Nwokobia
6’0”, 206 loss
Nwokobia has instincts that consistently find him around the ball. Whether interceptions, pass breakups, or key tackles, he seemed to be in position to make those plays pretty often. He showed good hands when presented with the opportunity to pick off passes. These traits translated well to shallow coverage. Against the run, he triggers downhill quickly. His effort in this area is high and he will always look to chip in.
Nwokobia, unfortunately, doesn’t quite hold up athletically. He can handle shallow coverage, but quicker and speedier players will get the best of him, regardless of whether he is in nickel or playing as a single high. The range isn’t quite there. As well, quicker players will make him miss in the open field or force a missed tackle attempt.
The instincts will get him a look, but he might lack the traits to have starter upside. Sometimes guys do overcome it, but it will be an uphill battle. Nwokobia’s effort and knack for the ball could see him do well on special teams, which likely will be his best bet at earning further opportunities. Had I gotten to him pre-draft, he likely would have ended up with a UDFA grade.
WR, Noah Thomas
6’5”, 203 lbs
Thomas has a towering frame that is evident every time he steps on the field. Despite his size, he moves quite well, showing the speed to create deep separation, and underrated agility to handle more than just the basic stuff. Thomas has flashed in contested situations, where his size allowed him to be a mismatch.
The tools are there, but Thomas is still pretty green as a prospect. He was buried on the depth chart at Georgia, and didn’t see a ton of targets. His route running will need to be refined, and his hands could be more consistent. As well, he will need to add mass to his frame in order to handle contact better.
This is one of those “ball of clay” situations here. The lack of play time/production, along with the technical issues, will likely lead to some growing pains. But Thomas does have the tools to show some flashes in the preseason and potentially make the team. In the long run, he has the upside to be a contributor on offence. Had I graded him pre-draft, he likely would have ended up in the 6-7th round range.
CB, Ceyair Wright
6’0”, 185 lbs
Wright is an instinctive player who primarily played out of the slot. He was quick to trigger downhill on underneath routes and also was very willing to help in run support. His ability to read plays has led to some success in zone coverage, which is where he is at his best.
Wright’s frame is on the small side. This, combined with mediocre athleticism, puts a cap on his upside. He can work out of the slot, but quicker and speedier players give him trouble. Additionally, the results in run support don’t always match the effort. His tackling will need to be cleaned up.
Overall, Wright is a smart enough player to maybe carve out a depth role for himself. However, physical limitations limit the upside, and it will be an uphill battle to be more than a depth player. That said, if he can clean up his tackling, the way Wright plays could allow him to be quite a good special teamer. Had I scouted him pre-draft, he likely would have graded as a UDFA.
LB, Jack Dingle
6’4”, 235 lbs
Dingle is long and has a well built frame to handle contact. Offensive linemen blocking at the second level are posed with a challenge when looking to land a block on him. He is a good wrap up tackler and has the speed to trigger downhill quickly. His size/speed/tackling combo should make for a good special teamer.
Dingle has straight line speed but looks limited laterally. His man coverage is sub-par and, even in zone, you can see the heaviness in his feet. As well, he misdiagnoses plays too often, which hurts against the run. At other times, he’ll just end up caught in traffic.
If Dingle can be more consistent against the run, there is a path to defensive snaps. But his limited agility and coverage ability will likely prevent a featured role. He’s got enough to work with to potentially be a good special teamer. If I had scouted Dingle pre-draft, he likely would have graded out as a UDFA.
RB, Jamal Haynes
5’6”, 195 lbs
Haynes may lack ideal height, but he still has a solid enough build to handle work between the tackles and absorb some contact. His speed is alright, but his wiggle in short areas is probably what stands out the most. He can make quick little cuts to evade tackle attempts, and he has good burst to get back to top speed pretty quickly.
Vision will have to improve, as he can often be indecisive and will dance in the backfield a bit too much, rather than hitting the hole that had opened up. Additionally, Haynes will have to improve in the passing game. Both as a receiver and in protection, in order to gain trust. Otherwise, he might not see more than early down work, should he prove able to climb up the depth chart.
His height may be off putting to some coaches, and players like this sometimes get less opportunities. However, Haynes does have some tools to work with. As with any UDFA, he has some things to work on, but this is one prospect that has got a shot at the next level. Had I scouted Haynes pre-draft, he likely would have ended up roughly in the round 7-UDFA range.
OT, Corey Robinson
6’5”, 311 lbs
Robinson is tall and long, possessing the reach to win leverage battles and to push speed rushers out the back door after an initial loss. His frame is big enough to absorb power at a decent rate. Maybe he isn’t completely stonewalling guys, but he can stall bull rushes. Additionally, he has shown some solid glimpses as a run blocker.
Athleticism isn’t his strong suit. Robinson is sluggish in his kick slide, and speed gives him trouble. A lot of times, he abandons his footwork in a panicked attempt to stay on top of a speed rusher. He also gets his pad level too high at times, which allows his opponent to knock him off balance. Hand battling is also an area of inconsistency.
Robinson has the size and length to make it. He plays with decent power, and adding more will only help. However, his athletic limitations will be tough to overcome. His technique also needs quite an overhaul, which makes for an uphill battle. But if he can do that successfully, he may have a shot in the league. At this point, he is a developmental project. Had I gotten to him pre-draft, he would have ended up grading as a UDFA.
RB, Kentrell Bullock
5’9”, 204 lbs
Bullock is a bit on the short side, but has a compact build that allows him to play a tough style. He is a between the tackles runner and will lower the shoulder when faced with contact. I like his vision in short areas. He makes quick decisions and will get the yards that open up for him. You see that ability to wear down defences. Although he has some things to clean up in pass protection, there were some solid reps too. He has potential in that area.
Dynamic speed and agility is lacking, so he doesn’t really have that game breaking ability. Bullock will grind out the tough yards, but isn’t really someone who will create very much for himself. So as both a runner and pass catcher, the upside is limited.
Bullock could make it as an early down back on a team looking for that specific style. But you sometimes see more supply than demand for this type of RB who is lacking in traits, so showing consistency will be big in order for him to latch on. Had I watched his tape pre-draft, he would have graded out as a UDFA.
G, Liam Brown
6’5”, 307 lbs
Brown has a strong build and good play strength. When he latches on, he is tough to move, showing the ability to set a firm anchor. I like the movement he was able to generate in the run game when blocking in a phone booth. You see a bit of a mean streak, which is good for the position he plays.
Lateral movement skills are a bit lacking, which really shows up against bendier opponents. If he doesn’t immediately latch on, the rush edges can be exposed. Stunts/twists can cause him trouble, too. As a run blocker, he is much better close to home than on the move. From a technical standpoint, Brown could improve his hand placement and timing and, ideally, minimize how often his opponent can get good strikes into his chest.
Brown has the strength and demeanor to play inside. He lacks ideal athleticism, but playing in the right scheme could help limit the issues. Refining his technique might be what it comes down to for him. Had I scouted Brown before the draft, he would have ended up with a UDFA grade.
TE, Josh Kattus
6’4”, 245 lbs
Kattus was used primarily as a blocker in college, and has a lot of experience in the trenches. He has blocked from different alignments, including in-line and from the slot. This gives him some versatility to both block in a phone booth and in space. He is agile enough to block in space, and could potentially be used as an H-Back at times. Though not used often, he is generally reliable as a pass catcher. He has good hands in the quick game and can be that check down option for the QB.
His lack of experience as a pass catcher probably will cap his ceiling. He has made a few good plays after the catch, and is a decent enough athlete, but he isn’t the dynamic player that is likely to be a downfield threat. As well, his route running, although improved, still isn’t at a level where you could really project an increase in downfield production. As a blocker, he can stand to get a bit stronger and improve his ability to sustain.
Kattus will have a shot to make it as a depth TE or H-Back hybrid. His experience as a blocker in a pro style system should help him hit the ground running. While he can give you the basics as a pass catcher, he isn’t likely to be a big downfield threat. So showing versatility and reliability will be key for him to secure a depth role. Special teams would also help. Had I watched Kattus before the draft, he would have graded out as a UDFA.
