The Bengals only had 6 selections in this year’s draft, but made sure to add a good handful of undrafted free agents to fill out the roster. In my article, I go over each of them.
These are a few of my favourites:
DT, Howard Cross III
Yes, he is undersized and lacks power. Still, his athletic traits and burst off the line are hard to ignore. As well, his pass rush moves are nicely refined, which is impressive for a rookie entering the league. I feel like the Bengals’ DL has been missing that twitched up gap penetrator since Geno Atkins left. And this isn’t to say that Cross is even remotely comparable to Atkins, but I am excited about the athletic upside that Cross brings.
OT, Caleb Etienne
Etienne is a very raw player. There were a lot of glaring issues with his technique on tape. Unless he shows a surprising amount of development this offseason, he is likely a practice squad guy. However, he has all of the tools to be a legit starter one day. Size, strength, length, athleticism. It’s all there. Will be interesting to see what they can get out of him.
C, Seth McLaughlin
I’m not as high on him as others are, and I certainly don’t see him as the NFL’s top UDFA signing from this year, like others have claimed he is. That said, I do think he can be a good depth player at the C position, with an outside chance at becoming a starter. He doesn’t really have traits that stand out as being special, but he plays with good technique. If he is able to get stronger, it might be enough for him to play his way onto the team.
Which UDFA signings are you guys excited about?