Bengals 2026 Training Camp Preview: TE
Players:
88. Mike Gesicki
89. Drew Sample
83. Erick All
87. Tanner Hudson
84. Jack Endries
85. Cam Grandy
48. Josh Kattus
The Bengals enter 2026 with an interesting TE room. Perhaps there isn’t that star player, but it quietly is pretty deep.
Gesicki is the name at the top, even if the snap count might not end up that way when it is all said and done. He doesn’t block much, and spends a lot of his time in the slot. But his size and athleticism makes for a nice mismatch in the passing game. He should continue to be involved, and more of his competition for snaps will probably come from the likes of Andrei Iosivas and Mitchell Tinsley, rather than his fellow TE’s.
Sample, like Gesicki, is a one-dimensional player. But that is probably the only thing they have in common, as they are very different on the field. Sample, while offering little as a pass catcher, makes his contributions as a blocker. The Bengals, since infamously reaching for him in the 2nd round in 2019, have valued his ability in this area. Cam Grandy has also shown some value as a blocker, but the staff likes Sample, and it seems unlikely that he loses his spot.
Erick All is the interesting one. A 2024 4th rounder, he got a lot of work early in his rookie season, before suffering an injury that would see him remain sidelined through 2025. It is tough to rely on someone who has been out for so long, so the expectations have to be dampened. But if he can get back to his pre-injury form, and remain healthy going forward, he could end up being the TE to see the most playing time. All, unlike the other TE’s on the roster, plays a complete game. Having a guy like him, who can catch and block, would be beneficial for the offence.
Endries, I’d expect, will be on the roster. He was a late round pick, but has some nice potential. He can catch passes and, with some development, could be a good blocker too. But I wouldn’t expect much contribution as a rookie. This makes the Tanner Hudson situation interesting. Keeping 5 TE’s is a bit much, but Hudson is a reliable veteran and probably someone the Bengals would have a tough time cutting bait with. Perhaps some mental gymnastics can be done where you think of Gesicki as a WR, with the other 4 being the “true” TE’s.
Grandy has spent time on the roster in the past. Like Sample, he is primarily a blocker, and he is pretty good at it. But unless he is able to steal the job from Sample, it is tough to see him making it, as having two blocking TE’s would be redundant. I could see him sticking around on the practice squad, though.
Kattus is also one I could see on the practice squad. I touch on him in the UDFA article. The rookie was used primarily as a blocker in college, and from different alignments. He ran routes out of the slot too, but wasn’t a primary target. If he can clean up his route running, he could develop into a solid depth TE who can also play on special teams. I got a little bit of a Mitchell Wilcox vibe from watching him.
Featured Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)